New Fire
by Sol and G'syr
Summary: The Rebellion failed. 25 years after Mockingjay, Panem is still in the hands of the Capitol. And in the 100th Hunger Games, the only thing to be expected, will be the UNexpected. I don't own anything.
1. Reaping

Disclaimer: Sol and G'syr own nothing!

The sunlight filtered through the pitiful excuses for curtains, shining through Merida's eyelids and staining her vision red. Moaning, she sat up and rubbed her eyes. "We'll, happy Hunger games to me."

On top of the kitchen table was some bread, still hot. A note card said, 'for Merida. From, Harris, Hubert, and Hamish.' The redhead frowned. Where did they get this? Real bakery bread? They couldn't afford it!

"AAARRRGGGGHHH!"

The baker's voice rang through the streets, and Merida smiled to herself. Those little devils sure showed ol' Vladimir, huh? And right after he was bragging that his shop was thief-proof…

Gulping down the bread, she left her brothers their presents and went off to change into the outfit her mother, Elinor, had chose last night. It was quite beautiful, a navy blue dress with old, Scottish decorations. And she got up to prepare further for the Reaping.

G'syr: THIS IS A LINE BREAK

As Merida stood in the stalls for the Reaping Candidates, she prayed to every god she had heard of, glad that her brothers were still to young for the Reaping. Her mind was drifting, hoping that the Mayor's looooooong speech would be over soon. It was not in vain, for soon the screen flickered to life.

Merida scowled as the President's face appeared. The second most-despised president of Panem. Pitch Black, and his name described his soul. His amber eyes had that malicious look in his eyes. His oily voice rang out:

"Welcome to the 100th annual Hunger Games."

G'syr: I know that was really short, so this is a line break

"As we all know," Pitch drawled, "We must go into the history of the two Great Wars. The first rebellion of the districts: all the history, yada yada yada, district 13 was destroyed and all that. The second rebellion: this is more interesting. After the 75th Games, Katniss Everdeen, or 'The Mockingjay' was one of the leaders of the revolution. After a truly valiant attempt on the Capitol, the rebels FAILED UTTERLY. And after the easiest but most emotionally exhausting war in history, the Capitol won. And the Hunger Games continue. However, this is the first Quarter Quell since the Second War, there will be a slight twist. Usually it would be the champions who were selected, but now, there will be a drawing of commoners AND victors. That's right, twice as many fight for survival. The same district alliance continues. May the odds be ever in your favor!" And with that, the screen went black.

G'syr: line break… line break… *huuuuuhhh…*

Merida had wondered why commoners were rounded up even though it was a Quarter Quell. Great. Juuuust great. Everybody was silent as the District 12 Escort, Toothiana Faerie, stepped onto the podium. "Well… I guess we'll start with the girls!" She chirped half-heartedly. People have mixed feelings about Tooth. Some people don't like her because she was Capitol, while most people were fine with her because she hated the Hunger Games. Apparently, her best friend growing up was a victor's child, who went back and forth from a District 12 and the Capitol, and therefor a citizen of the district. She was chosen as a tribute in her first year of being a candidate, 12 years old. She died in the first 10 minutes. Tooth has never liked the Hunger Games since. But as much as the woman was loved, it was hard not to loathe her as her hand drew the name from the girls' lot. She drew out the chosen slip of paper and read out: "Emma Overland!"

G'syr: Phew! Last line break… right? Sol: sorry. One more after this. G'syr: *sigh…*

A little girl of 12 was herded out and onto the podium. Tooth burst into tears as she saw the girl's age. Far to young to die. She heard a boy in her lane, Age 17 Lane, cry out in anguish. "Emma!" The boy looked like an older male version of Pippa. Her older brother?

"Jack!" The tribute cried out, sobbing. Fat tears rolled down her face. "Jack…"

As Merida watched the heartbreaking scene, her hard heart split in two. She was so young, with a family… she deserved to grow up. "I volunteer as tribute!"

G'syr:… you've got the message, right?

AAAAAND, that's it. Me and G'syr would just like to say, this is our first fic, and yeah. Don't be too hard on us. G'syr: *snoring, wakes up when Sol nudges him* Hrrr-rrr? Oh, yes! Criticism would be appreciated! Thank you!" *goes back to sleep* Sol: sorry. It's currently one A.M. Yeah. Woke up and had sudden inspiration. So, good night and good luck!- Sol and G'syr


	2. Reaping Part 2

Hi! Thank you to reviewers and readers for supporting my first fic! Since I'm so excited about this story, I decided to write this. Here! *hands story over*

Merida POV

All was silent. Then Emma, the little girl chosen for the reaping, cried out in relief and ran back to her mother in the crowd. The silent, grim guards escorted I to the stage. Tooth smiled, "Thank you to this wonderful girl who volunteered! What is your name?"

"Merida DunBroch."

"Everyone, a big hand for Merida DunBroch!" Emma big brother clapped really loud and whistled, along with her mother and herself. Tooth wasn't disheartened by that, in fact, she looked relieved. "Well, it's time for the boys…" Her words trailed off into a sigh. She reached into the bowl. She pulled out a slip. The whole crowd was holding its breath. You could have cut the tension with a knife. "Oh!" Unexpectedly, a sob arose in Tooth's throat. "Jackson Overland!" Oh, no. Overland. That's the same last name as the girl I saved! I looked to the back, and saw the person who I guessed was Jackson. His face was pale, and tears welled in his eyes.

"JACK! No, no no no no no!" Emma screamed out. I saved her just so she could lose her sibling… I hate fate.

Emma ran up to Jackson, hanging on to his legs. That snapped him out of his daze. "Emma… go back to mom. Please."

"NO! Not until you promise me… PLEASE! ANYONE! VOLUNTEER!"

It was silent. I was disgusted. Nobody would save the girl's sibling, after the girl had been saved? I called them some choice words under my breath. Some Capitol guards walked up and wrenched Emma off her brother. After glaring at the shiny black visors that the guards had on, he walked up, silent as the crowd. After a few minutes of me and Jackson staring down the crowd, Tooth spoke up. "Everyone, Jackson Overland!" This time, nobody clapped. At least they knew enough to do that. Humph.

After another nervous silence, Tooth spoke again. "It's time to draw victors now! Ladies first!" As she drew the slip, she looked at the previous three victors. Stoic Haddock was the oldest. He was stronger than a bull, and bigger. He had a HUGE red beard, and his hair in a braid. Next to him was his son, Hiccup, who hd been chosen when he was fourteen. It's been three years since then, and now he's seventeen. He's really skinny, with long brown hair. Next to him was a girl a year younger than him, Rapunzel Corona. She had short, mousey brown hair that was uneven on the ends, and kind green eyes. Hiccup and Rapunzel won in the same year, and they couldn't have done it without each other. With Rapunzel's ability to get almost anywhere and to disguise things well, and Hiccup's talent for inventing, they caught the people that were killed by them in deadly traps. Stoic just used pure strength.

Tooth pulled out the strip. Everyone knew who this one would be, we only had one girl champion. "Rapunzel Corona!" The pretty brunette walked up calmly. She had most likely been preparing herself for this moment for months. I glanced over at her, and she gave me a small smile. I smiled back. There were a few claps. "Well… it's time for the boys!" Tooth reached once again into the boy's bowl… and pulled out a slip. Stoic leaned forward eagerly, while Hiccup was leaning as far back as possible. Father or son… "Hiccup Haddock!" Stoic and Hiccup's faces fell, and the latter trudged up to the stage. All was silent, just relieved that it was over. Tooth smiled a big smile, "Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor!"

Sol: this one turned out longer than I thought it would. But, I liked it. I'd like to do shout outs now:

LO: thank you! I'm really excited about this story!

Guest: thank you! Do you really think this is the best one? If so, than I really appreciate it. And I've always been a fan of Jarida.

udidntseeanythin: okay, thank you for the criticism! I'll try that when we get further in. And, I just like calling her Pippa, because she reminds me of Jamie's friend Pippa. Thanks for the suggestions!

Okay, conclusion of shout-outs. Next chapter is going to be a bit different… be prepared for a short but intriguing chapter! G'syr: phew! No line breaks this time… ahh… oh, and Sol? You forgot the disclaimer. Sol: Oh! Thank you, G'syr! I don't own the setting or any of these characters. Okay, done. G'bye, everyone!

*EDIT- changed Pippa to Emma in both chapters


	3. Time Lapse

Sol: *holding closet door closed, talks in strained voice* Hi everyone… Sol here. Next chapter! *suddenly stumbles, door pops open*

Disclaimer: phew, that closet stunk. Okay, Sol and G'syr don't own any of this!

Sol: it was worth a shot.

(Time warp, when HG intro video was recorded)

Pitch Black turned away from the camera, sighing. The one part he hated about being President: the Hunger Games intro videos. Well, at least this Hunger Games will be extra interesting. Twice as many people. Sighing again, he got up to check o. Something…

G'syr: line break line break

Gothel sat next to Dexter. The last thing she remembered, she had been stabbed by a dagger in one of the Hunger Games… her partner, Dexter, was in that dark room also…

Surprisingly, she was fully healed. She knew they were being watched…

G'syr: line break line break

Pitch smiled, and it didn't reach his eyes. "Two pellets, one for the girl, and one for the boy."

G'syr: line break line break

Gothel started coughing, what was this smoke? Dexter's beautiful blond hair looked black, and her eyes felt funny. Suddenly, she felt energy surge through her, she saw sparks fly out of her fingers. She felt… good…

G'syr: line break line break

Pitch walked into the cell. The smoke had cleared, so he could see the effects on his subjects. They looked unconscious. The boy… Pitch walked over to where he should be. He wasn't there! Had it destroyed him? Then he spotted it… a big, shadowy, boy-shaped mass. Pitch smiled… "Hello. How do you feel?"

The shadow, or Fearling, as Pitch liked to call it, answered in his mind. 'Wonderful, Master.'

"Master? That has a nice ring to it."

He turned his attention to the girl. She looked about… his age. Her brown hair had turned black and curly. He gently shook her shoulder.

Gothel's red eyes flew open.

Sol: Okay! Thank you G'syr, for the line breaks. G'syr: your welcome. Sol: Goodbye everyone!


	4. Goodbyes

Ch 4- Goodbyes

Sol: Hello everyone! Hope you liked ch. 3! This is back to the tributes. G'syr: I wish I didn't have to say this, but we don't own anything. Sol: oh yeah, and the last few chapters were Merida's memories. Now's the present.

Merida POV

I sit down on the velvet seats. Running my hand over the soft fabric, I brace myself for the goodbyes.

"Merida!" My Mum cries, rushing in with my father and the devils. "Oh, Merida… that was very noble of ya. Savin' the little girl… but we'll miss ya."

Pa piped up, "Merida, you're tough. You're strong. You're smart. You can win this! Just do you're best with the other three tributes, and ya can survive. Do you're best."

"I will," I choke out, close to tears. But what really sends them flowing is when Harris and Hubert pushed Hamish forward, and offers me his dessert. I hug them until its time for them to go.

But as the guards escort them out, Mum slips something in my pocket.

Jack's POV

I'm still in shock from what happened. That girl, Merida… I'm grateful. So, so grateful. She probably saved Emma's life. But when I got pulled, it was like a dream. No, a nightmare. Poor Emma. Poor Mom. Poor me.

The door opens, and Emma and Mom walk in silently. We just look at each other for a second, memorizing each other's faces.

"Jack… how will me and Mom stay alive?"

"I've taught you how to make traps. You're as good as me in that. You know the mutations the Capitol released into the forest. You're good enough with a bow, which is more than I can say for myself. I'd shoot my own foot. You can take care of yourself. And mom. You know how to harvest and grow the edible plants we've found. You can do this."

Now Mom speaks up. "We'll miss you. You were always able to make us smile."

I turn to Emma. "Then you'll have to make Mom smile in my place, okay? And remember, take care of Mom."

She solemnly nods, "I will."

After a moment of silence, Mom suddenly murmurs, "For you."

She hands me a beautifully carved wooden pin that displays a snowflake. It has a thin, slightly shimmering coat of rich blue paint on it, and I can still see the oak below it.

"Thank you… both of you."

Suddenly, a knock on the door comes. "Next visitor." The guard's gruff voice snaps.

"Goodbye." All of us whisper it in unison as they walk out.

To my surprise, the next visitor is my only friend, Sanderson ManSnoozie, or Sandy for short. He's a couple years older than me, but still short. Oh yeah, and he's a mute so he communicates through sign language. As a result, I'm his only friend, since I'm the only person who's bothered to learn sign.

'Good luck, Jack.'

"Thanks, Sandy. But the chances are pretty low, huh?"

'Yes, but don't lose hope."

There's a silence for a little bit, and then Sandy speaks (or communicates, if you're picky),

'I hope you realize you're going to have to win this. For Emma, your mom, me, and even little Bunny. Promise, okay?'

'I can't promise that I'll win, but I promise that I'll try my best. Happy?"

'Yes.'

Rapunzel POV

Ugh. I knew this was going to happen. I prepared myself since the moment I won the Hunger Games, but it still is traumatizing me. I have a bad feeling about these Games, too…

Just then, Mother and Father burst in, faces streaked with tears and worry.

"Rapunzel! We were so worried about you the first time, but now you're going into the arena again, and with other champions, too! Oh, if we lose you again…" Mother's hands are gesturing frantically, like they always do when she's agitated. Father just wraps both of us in a hug. Then Mother pulls away, crying again. "We brought Pascal, and… well, a flower that…" Mother exchanges a look with Father, like, 'is this a good idea?'. Father takes a breath, and continues for her.

"When you were about to be born, your mother got very sick. Deathly sick. But, that night, an hour or two before you were born, I saw a single streak of light fall from the sky and hit the Earth.

"I immediately ran out into the woods where I saw the light land. And after a few minutes of searching, I saw a tiger lily-like flower, glowing softly. When I entered its clearing, the bud opened up and released pollen. Though I'm allergic to pollen, I felt all of my energy return. The pollen had healed me! I picked up the miracle plant and the clod of earth it was in, and sprinkled the pollen on your mother's face.

"Her eyes flickered open, bright as they had always been. An hour later, we had you. You were born with unusually golden hair, about a foot and a half long. Normally newborns don't have hair, but we figured it was a side effect of the pollen. This is that flower. It has no more pollen left, and only it's head has survived. But it should be a good memento. From us. Remember us, and that we are supporting you from home." Both of my parents are in tears now. Quietly, I whisper:

"I will."

Hiccup POV

I don't particularly care about being in the arena again. Besides the fact that I might die a HORRIBLE DEATH. What's there to be worried about? But that aside, all I can think about right now is how Dad's going to give me another 'Viking Talk.' Oh, here he is:

"Son."

"Uh, hey, Dad…"

"You have won this before. We both have."

"I know that."

"So you must be brave! Relish the chance to prove yourself a true Viking once again, just like your ancestors were Vikings. They were the most feared culture in history!"

"But now their descendants are mining coal."

"Respect your ancestors! I myself was hoping to get chosen, but when you were pulled, I stood by my honor and held my pride in check. I did not volunteer. So make me proud once again!"

"Uh… I'll, uh, try my best."

"That's my boy! Oh! I almost forgot…"

He rummaged around in his big coat for a minute, then pulled something out. It was a necklace, with a pendant of a green, almost feline-looking eye. It's slit-shaped pupils made the flat, glass eye look alive and feral.

"This is an ancient pendant. It is in the shape of a legendary dragon's eye. It allows the dragon to know when you are in your times of greatest need. And if the dragon thinks you are worthy, it will assist you in those times. Me, I tried to wear it during my time as tribute, but all it did was make me trip over tree roots. After I took it off, I had more luck, though. Apparently the dragon thought I was UNworthy." He chuckles softly.

"Thanks, Dad… but why didn't you give this to me before?"

At this he looks sheepishly at me. "I was… a bit scared that the dragon would approve of you and not me…"

I sigh, used to this. "Thank you, Dad."

And that's when the Capitol guards took me away to the train.

Sol: Phew! I think that's the longest chapter I've written so far. Sorry I made Merida's chapter so short. And I'll go into more detail about the item she gets to take with her next chapter. ALL of the objects are very important to the story, at least the way I'm planning it in my head. But, honestly, this could go anywhere. I don't even have an ending planned yet! *huffs in exasperation* I worry about myself sometimes.

G'syr: I worry about you too.

Sol: thank you, for that outstanding vote of confidence.

G'syr: you're welcome. Shout outs:

Galatea R.S- thank you! We're a big supporter of Jarida, and we were disappointed at most of the results Sol got for big four hunger games AUs. Thanks!

The Deadly Black Rose- Sol and I try to update every day, but we might not right now because Sol is on vacation and is not allowed to use her electronic devices most places she has Wi-Fi. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Okay, this is the end. Goodbye!

Sol: Ditto!

Oh, yeah, there will be more Pitch chapters eventually. Okay, now goodbye!


	5. Mor'du and the Huntress

Ch 5- Mor'du and the Huntress

Sol:We wrote this on the same day as Goodbyes, because something happened and I am so. Damn. Angry. At 2 of my bros. I feel violent and so does G'syr. So we wrote this. Oh, dang. Spider Pig just came on my iPad and I lost some on my violent inspiration. (It's soooo funny!)

…

I was on the train. Maybe now was a good time to check out what Mum gave me…

There was a big fang. It had some carvings on it… And an actual piece of paper! It had writing on it… a story. I can tell from the beginning. Not sure what to think, I start reading.

_Mor'du and the Huntress_

_A long, long time ago, in the kingdom of ancient Scotland, there was a King and Queen. They had all the luxuries in the world, and there was peace within their realm, but they were not happy. For there was one thing they wanted, and it was the one thing the couldn't have themselves: a child._

_The King saw his Queen's unhappiness, and set out to find a child. He traveled across the kingdom, far and wide, but he couldn't find a single lost or homeless child. He should have been happy about this, for it meant that his kingdom prospered, but all he could think about was the Queen. _

_As he walked on the trail that went by the forest, he saw something appear. It was floating above the ground, and it was made of blue fire. The King was startled, for he knew from the folk's tales that this was a Wisp, and it led you to your fate. So he urged his horse off the trail, and followed the spirits._

_He was led into a clearing with arches of stone, in the alignment of a circle. And in the middle, was a baby girl, wrapped in a blanket of rags. The King gently picked up the baby and started to ride off, when he heard a low, loud growl. He looked around, and saw two shiny, black, malicious eyes peering at him through the undergrowth. Drawing his sword, he waited for the creature to spring. _

_It charged at the King, and the horse the King was riding jumped out of the way. The King's eyes widened at the creature, which was revealed to be a gigantic, black bear that stank of rotten meat. Back and forth, back and forth they fought, man for survival, Bear for fresh meat. Finally, the King stabbed his sword into the Bear's eye, and the roar of rage was heard even in the village. As the Bear's stabbed eye went gray, the good eye stated glowing an evil, malicious red._

_The King rode off, barely escaping. As he thought about the unusually large bear with the now red eye, he remembered the tales his mother used to tell him, about demons who took the forms of beings with red or black eyes. His heart beat faster, he had narrowly escaped one of those supernatural beings. At the next village he came to, he sacrificed his best food to the Wisps._

_When he returned, the Queen was overjoyed. They brought the baby girl up as her own, naming her Merida. As she grew up, she despised her princess duties, and instead preferring to use the bow the King gave her._

_One day, when Merida was a young woman, stories of a bear terrorizing the nearby villages, who knew him as Mor'du, the King remembered his near-death encounter with the Demon Bear, and forbid Merida from going into the woods, her favorite place to spend time. That made the already rebellious princess more so, and every spare second was spent in the forest. And one of those times, she saw a fiery, blue spirit floating above the ground._

_Back at the palace, a roar was heard outside the gate. The best warriors were stationed there, while the women and children were rushed inside. And as the gate crashed, the hulking form of the bear towered over the guards, and clouds blocked out the sun. And suddenly, the castle was plunged into darkness as black as midnight._

_Merida followed the Wisps to a clearing in the forest she had never seen before. With stone archways arranged in a circle, she felt danger in the air. And quickly, she drew her bow, holding it at the ready._

_Mor'du swiped at the warriors, snapping the necks of six. He crashed down, biting and scratching everywhere. They had to go into full retreat, or else they would all be killed. Without his prey, Mor'du lumbered back to the woods._

_The rain had drenched Merida, and the feeling of danger had increased tenfold. The sound of branches snapping filled the air, and the princess pulled back the bowstring, arrow at the ready._

_Mor'du burst into the clearing, and Merida dodged the hurtling body just in time. She backed away carefully, and shot an arrow. It buried itself in the demon's back, not affecting it more than a bee sting. Arrow after arrow, swipe after swipe. _

_She had been cornered against a tree, and readied her last arrow. And as Mor'du let out a triumphant roar, the huntress released her arrow. _

_It sank deep into the Demon Bear's throat, and it ended up coughing blood. And as it fell and died on the grass, the huntress pried his biggest fang out of his maw, and took it back to the castle as a trophy. _

_She told her story to the bards and the King and Queen, and the best artists carved her and Mor'du on his tooth. _

There is a note on the back of the story.

_Merida-_

_This is an old Scottish legend. Some say it is true, others say it is just a tale. But me and your father have proof, which we have just given you. The fang of Mor'du. We have named you after this huntress ancestor of yours, Merida. You look just as she did in all of the full legends… the fiery red, curly, untamable hair, her posture of confidence… and you have lots of her in your attitude, too. Your rebellious streak, your bravery, your independence… Merida, you can win this. You are our little Huntress. We love you._

_-Mum_

I looked again at the fang. It had the carving in the story on it. A girl who looked remarkably like me, drawing a bow. A bear looming up above her, roaring. Strange. I didn't believe the legend, but neither Mum or Dad or one of the triplets have an artistic bone in their bodies… I wonder… I'm not sure, but…

Could the legend be true?

…

Sol: I know, sucky ending. But, the legend is cool, though, right? I kind of re-wrote Brave. Don't be mad at me! *hides behind couch*

G'syr: Stop being paranoid, Sol. Me, G'alim, and G'ryan will protect you… right guys?

G'ryan: we haven't been painted yet. G'alim is not talking to Sol, and neither am I until she paints us.

G'syr: okay, just me then

Sol: I'll put that on the list of things to do. Goodbye, everyone!


	6. Parade

Ch 6- Parade

Sol: I hope you guys liked the double update, just in case I couldn't update soon… this is the part of the process I don't remember well, so I've been skimming. *NOTE: CHANGED GOODBYES! THEY DON'T HAVE A PET BUNNY! I realized that they wouldn't be able to afford a pet that can't take care of itself… sorry!* here's the new chapter:

Merida POV

**YOWCH**! Oh, these stupid people! **Oof**! Why- _gaack_! Did they have- _eeerg_! To use the cursed- eesh! **BRUSH**?

"Oh! Oh, this hair is impossible… " that's what she said. But, really, she's, kinda… right. Oof, that was hard to admit. Anyway, Maudie is trying and failing at dragging a brush through my hair.

"Why doncha keep my hair this way? It's kinda my signature style. And, it's a place no brush comes out'a alive!" I suggest.

Maudie considers this for a second before saying "Yes, that's a good idea…" now she mumbles under her breath, "And I don't want to destroy this hairbrush, it's the best kind!" Hmph. Silly Capitol people. Bet they can't tell a beetle from a cockroach.

**AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG**! What are they thinkin', waxin' me? Ugh, at least it's ove- **DAAAAAAAAMMMMMIIIIIIIITTTT**!

"Is the waxin' over?"

"Yes dearie, the head stylist will be in soon…" Maudie says this as she walks out of the room.

A few minutes later, a tall man comes walking in. He had floral tattoos that looked kinda tribal running one his arms, legs, and even his forehead! He had a little bit of nervous energy around him, why else would he be so twitchy? He reminded me of a bunny.

"My name's Aster, and I'm your stylist for District 12. Now, I'm not some ridiculous show pony who'll dress ya in coal dust, but I will if you don' cooperate with me. Understand?"

I have to admit, I'm kind of startled at this guy's flatness. But, I will cooperate if he won't do the infamous coal dust. Plech!

He continues with his little speech after I nod, "I've never seen hair like this, so I'll leave it alone. I've heard from Maudie that it's your signature, huh? Well, I agree. All o' the tributes this time aroun' seem to be pretty good lookin' and rough, so, no makeup. I'll just have to take a few measurements, and that'll be all for now."

Rapunzel POV

Oh, Aster is such a great stylist! Better than the last stylist… what was he thinking, dyeing my hair black?! And dressing me and Hiccup to look like we're made of coal… I still can't believe what he's come up with!

Aster has us all in our costumes, and in the chariots. Boys and girls, so I'm with Merida. District 11 rolls out, in their beautiful costumes, the simple entwined wheat clothes, and now it's our turn…

The crowd goes silent as the District 12 chariots are revealed, and the costumed people inside it. Me and Merida in our dresses designed to look like Mockingjays' feathers, and the wings extending from our backs. Our hair is entwined with feathers. We're on fire, so it's not against the rules, but it still amazes everyone. The boys' have feather in the arrangement of a slight crest, and their shirts are Mede of the gorgeous male mockingjay feathers. They're also on fire, but this was a really bold move of Aster's he could be killed for treason! I hope he'll be all right!

We weren't the new people on fire, the new Mockingjays, the new Katniss Everdeens…

Hiccup POV

The crowd might have lost its stunned silence and now be cheering for us (supporting my theory that they are to stupid to realize we were dressed as Mockingjays) but President Black is watching us. I can see him looking at us. He's snarling. (Okay, I guess he's not stupid.) Great. Our time in the arena is going to be heck.

"Welcome," he starts, "to the 100th Hunger Games. I hope it is extra enjoyable this year. Twice the tributes, twice the fun, am I right?" The crowds roar in agreement. Ugh. "But really, good luck to everyone this Hunger Games!

These people disgust me. I mean, this is the deaths of people who have lives, family, and friends back at home! And they roar in amusement at their deaths. Humph. I wish I lived back in the time before the nuclear war.

But don't all people from the districts?

What this world has come to.

Sol: well, that wraps it up! I'm sorry for not giving Jack screen time, but it just didn't feel right. Next chapter will be fun… training. Hehe…

G'syr: shout outs:

Galatea R.S- thanks! I wasn't so sure about the reaction to the legend, I'm glad you like it… and here's the styling part, though I didn't do makeup. I liked writing the hair part, though!

G'syr: that's it for today. Have a good day, readers!

Sol: thank you for reading!


	7. Training

Ch. 7- Training

Sol: hi! I know that the update is a little late, but a one-shot came to mind… it's called Snow Angels. Check it out? Oh, and here!

Jack POV

This… is uncomfortable. You could cut the tension between Hiccup and Stoic with a knife. At least the food's good, unlike the dinners we have in 12. Tooth starts speaking. "I think I'm going to have a talk with Bunny about your costumes."

Nobody else is talking, is I say, "Bunny? Who's that?"

She looks at me for a second like I'm crazy, then says, "Your stylist, of course!"

Oh. Him. He and I didn't get along very well…

(Memory)

"_Okay, mate, were goin' ta light ya on fire-"_

_"Fire? I don't do fire. Something else."_

_"Not somethin' else, you'll do what I tell ya!"_

_"Says the guy with the flower tattoos."_

_"You're lucky I'm not gonna set you on fire for real, mate! 'Cause I'm considering it!"_

_"Ooh, the fashionista is threatening me!"_

_"AAARG!"_

(Memory ended)

Yeah… "He does remind me of a rabbit. So you call him Bunny 'cause of that?"

Tooth smiled. "Good question, actually. His full name is Edmund Aster Bunnymund."

Me and Merida both stifle snickers. She chokes out, "Bunnymund? Wha' kind o' name is thah?"

"Quite strange," I drawl, mimicking the funny Capitol accent. Really, they sound so silly! At least Bunny and Tooth don't have them.

Rapunzel is stifling laughter. Finally! I was wondering if she could even smile… even Hiccup manages a smile through the uncomfortable pillow of air that's around him and his dad.

Then he speaks: "But yeah, I agree with you, Tooth. This time around, Bunny's idea for the costumes was pretty risky."

Rapunzel nods sadly. "Dressing us up as Mockingjays, even discretely, was too dangerous. President Black was watching us."

There was only silence after that. And on that depressing thought, we went to bed.

…

What is that sound? Ugh, so loud and annoying… oh, wait, it's the alarm. Training starts today. Time to put my plan into action so I can pay back Merida.

I put on the training jumpsuit. It feels weird to move around in, but I'll get used to it. I'm standing next to Merida and Hiccup. Hic heads straight to the knife fighting, and so far, actually looks pretty good with it. Punzie starts with the edible plants. It's just me and Merida now.

She looks at me for a second, like she's waiting for something. Maybe it's about Emma… "Thank you." I murmur before heading to the ropes course.

I am about to get up there when I see the line. Shrugging, I start at the back. Then, I watch a boy about my age with close-cropped blond hair swing across like a natural. Easy enough. My turn now. All the people behind me are watching… great. Sweaty palms.

I jump up, and start doing what I saw everybody else doing. Swinging, skipping as many ropes as possible. When I get to the end, I look back and see that almost everybody has impressed stares on their faces. Good. I smirk at them to show just how easy it was.

Now is the part I'm nervous about. The Gauntlet. I've heard that people have died on it.

I get in line, just behind the Careers. So far, the fastest time someone has gotten across without falling or getting hit by clubs is 3:34. I think I can beat that.

My turn. As soon as the clock starts, I'm everywhere. Dodging the clubs is only a little harder than I expected, which isn't very hard. I don't see how people fall on these things. I'm going so fast! The end comes too soon. My time: 1:22. Smirking once again, I see the Career's open mouthed stares. Except for two. The blond guy and another with wind-blown black hair and sea-green eyes. Blondie is glaring, and Black-hair looks happy. Huh.

I look around. Merida is at the swords. Heheh. She's beating a district five guy up. Punzel is at camouflage. Hiccup is working on snares. I look around. I should probably work with a weapon. Spears seems good.

Never mind. I'm horrible at throwing them. So I go to the swords.

I pick up my size, but it feels too small. A district 2 pulverizes me. I pick up a bigger one. It's about as tall as me. Probably for the really big people. But it feels right, so I go back in. I'm the laughingstock as I haul the quarter staff substitute for a real sword in. I hold it like the weapon it actually is, not a sword.

Two minutes later, the district 2 is at staff-point. Heh. That showed him.

A whistle blows. Lunch… the part of my plan I'm dreading. While the other 12s sit together, I go to the Career's table.

Blondie starts jeering at me. "Oh, look! A Twelvie who's trying to be cool." Everybody laughs. Except Black-hair. He turns to me. "Don't mind Jason. He's a jerk."

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

"My name's Percy Jackson, by the way. I'm from district 4."

"Jack Overland. Nice to meet you."

Percy then turns to Jason. "Jason, stop being unreasonable. He's good. You saw how he did on the Gauntlet and ropes course too. And how he beat Snotlout."

Jason scowled, but nodded. "I guess Percy's right. How'd you like to join our group?"

Perfect. Plan is going smoothly. "Really? I'd like that."

"Right then. I'm Jason Grace, leader of the Careers. And you are?"

"Jack Overland."

"And here are the others: from 1 is me, Piper, Drew, and Ethan. From 2 is Snotlout, Astrid, Fishlegs, and Ruffnut. From 4 is Percy, Kida, Amphitrite, and Frank Zhang." Suddenly he shouted, "CAREERS! Please welcome, our newest member, Jack!" They all nodded. Then they all went back to their business, except Percy. We continued to talk.

"So, Jack, what possessed you to leave the others from your district and join us? They don't look to happy." Sure enough, Rapunzel looked heartbroken, and Hiccup and Merida looked furious.

The look on Merida's face hurt me, but I kept up the charade. "This just seemed like a better way to survive." When I saw the disapproving look on his face, I muttered under my breath, "I'll tell you in private."

He nodded.

…

Nobody talked to me at dinner tonight. They just ignored me.

…

**IM SOOOOOOOOOOOOO SOOOOOOOOO SORRY! I UPDATED SOOOO LATE!** I felt lazy on the first day, then on the second day I couldn't use my iPad so I took notes about basic plot elements on paper… I wrote this in 3 days. **OH GODS, IM SO SORRY! **And yes, I added Heroes of Olympus. Heheh. So, next chapter will be relatively boring, just the names of all the tributes. G'bye!


	8. Recaps (filler)

Ch. 8- Recaps

Jack POV

All the others were sitting on the other side of the couch. _Huuuuuuh_… it feels lonely. Well, right now we are watching the recaps. Uneventful except for district 12. Here are all the tributes:

1- luxury items

Jason Grace (victor, volunteer both times) m

Piper McLean (victor, chosen both times) f

Drew Tanaka (volunteer) f

Ethan Nakamura (chosen) m

2- weaponry

Astrid Hofferson (victor, volunteer first, chosen second) f

Snotface Snotlout (volunteer both) m

Fishlegs Ingerman (chosen) m

Ruffnut Thornston (volunteer) f

3- electronics

Leo Valdez (chosen) m

Charles Beckandorf(chosen both) m

Bianca DiAngelo (chosen) f

Nyssa Forge (chosen both) f

4- fishing

Percy Jackson (chosen both) m

Kida Atlanta (volunteer for sickly father) f

Amphitrite Nymph (chosen both) f

Frank Zhang (chosen m

5- power/energy

Tom Riddle (volunteer both) m

Junior MacIntosh (volunteer) m

Seraphina Earth (chosen) f

Maleficent Sorceror(volunteer first, chosen second) f

6- transportation- all chosen

Blackjack Pegasus(victor) m

Angus Equester m

Maxie Mus (victor) f

Rainbow Campus f

7- lumber

Bergthold Trol (chosen both) m

Cottawilda Buttermilk (chosen both) f

Reven King (volunteer) m

Esmeralda Sur (chosen f

8- textiles- all chosen

Albus Dumbledore (victor) m

Chiron Taur m

Hermione Granger f

Witch Carver (victor) f

9- grain- all chosen

Sophie Dvarkin (victor) f

Jacob Stienzag m

Jessie Steel f

Tam Farrell (victor) m

10- livestock- all chosen

Siberia Wolfe- victor f

Dew Clawe m

Dynamite Tyger- victor m

Arcticos Fox f

11- agriculture- all chosen

Stafylì Grape- victor m

G'syr Wish m

Elfwyn Veritas f

Sophie Prentice- victor f

12- coal

Merida DunBroch - volunteer f

Jackson Overland/Frost- chosen m

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock iii- chosen- victor m

Rapunzel Corona-chosen- victor f

F- female

M- male

Yup. Some of them have weird names, cough *G'syr* cough, but they all look pretty tough. I go to my room and fall asleep.

Aaaaaaand, that's it! A double update, (though it should be triple) so be grateful! This one was really hard. I HAD TO CHOSE 48 FREAKING NAMES! If you have read Last Dragon Chronicles, you'll recognize Tam Farrell. If you've read Jinx, then you'll recognize district 7. And 2 in 11. Yes, I couldn't help but add G'syr in there. Human, of course. And the name of me and my brothers' stuffed animals. Siberia the timber wolf, Dewclaw the black wolf, Dynamite the white tiger (one of my bro's) Arcticos the Arctic Fox, and The Grape (one of my other bro's). Stafylì means grape in greek. Heheh. So, goodbye!


	9. Night Talks

Ch. 9- Night Talks

Hiccup POV  
We had called a meeting at the roof. The word 'we' meaning 'Me, Merida and Rapunzel'. Not Jack, since he had gone off with the Careers. Plech. Just thinking about it leaves a nasty taste in my mouth.  
I was the first to arrive. Early. Then Rapunzel, who was right on time, as usual. Then Merida, who was ten minutes late.  
"Sorry ah'm late! So, what'ar we talkin' abou'?"  
"Jack!" I exclaim, exasperated. "He joined the Careers, and we have to talk."  
"Bu' why? The bloody betrayin' lowlander for some unexplained reason went off, and joined the Careers! What is there to talk abou'?"  
"Because," Rapunzel starts, "It doesn't seem like Jack, from what we've heard of him."  
"Normally, I would say the Punze is just seeing the best in him, 'cause she could _actually see something in Snotlout at first,_ but in this case, she's right. It's not like him." I say.  
Merida huffs. "Well, we just talked abou' it. Now can we sleep? One o' us hasn't trained for more than a day yet."  
And after that short conversation, we split to make the trek back to our rooms.

Percy POV  
My alarm went off at 12:30 pm, the time I arranged with Jack. I could tell that this was a big secret, so he trusted me a lot. I felt kind of happy. Even though he was supposed to be my enemy, I liked him. Pfff, I guess I have a habit of befriending people I'm not supposed too.

Me and my friend Thalia, who had been in the games with me, had discovered that there was a secret garden that connected all the District's buildings. It had been boarded off, so we probably weren't supposed to be there, but it made for a good meeting place with Jack. There weren't even surveillance cameras there! Those Capitol people are dumber than they think and we're smarter than they think. Heh.  
Jack was already there when I arrived. Wow. I knew he was fast, but I assumed he would have taken more time to find the boards and break them.  
"Hey." He nods in response. "So, what is this big secret?"  
He hesitates, then says, "You've gotta keep this secret, promise?"  
"Promise."  
Then, he did the most childish but most satisfying thing ever. He held out his pinky. I held out mine with a smile. And we shook on it in the way of the kids we no longer physically were.  
"So, this girl, Merida… she volunteered in place of my sister, Emma. Emma's only 12, and I thought we were okay. But then I was pulled, and even though it hurt to leave her, it was a chance to pay Merida back.  
"I made a plan. I was hoping to become a Career, so I can secretly sneak off food and weapons. But I can't tell them, because acting just won't be as convincing as the real feelings. It hurts, but I can do this. There's more competition, so we need an insider. But I didn't know I was good enough to actually seem like a Career or have one's favor to help bet inside."  
I flinched. I didn't like the label 'Career'. "That's a good plan," I said. "A plan worthy of Athena."  
"Who's Athena?"  
"You don't know who Athena is? She's the Ancient Greek goddess of wisdom and battle strategy. I don't know why, but all District 4s are taught about Ancient Greek mythology."  
"That's pretty cool! What are some others?"  
"Well, there's my favorite, Posiedon…"  
And we spent the rest of the night talking about the Greek legends, just like me and my friends used to do back at home. Like true friends.

**I'm sorry. I couldn't help but add PJ in there. :)**


	10. Chapter 10

Ch. 10- Private Sessions

I'm sorry, to those of you who think that Percy is going to die now. Heheheh… just wait and see!

Hiccup POV

The district 11 girl is almost done with the gamemakers. Then it's my turn. What am I going to do when they most likely won't watch me? I'm going to get a real low score… ugg.

Okay, Elfwyn Veritas just walked out. My turn.

All of the gamemakers are either drunk, close to it, or about to fall asleep. And my chances of survival just went flying out the window.

Huuuuuuh… well, I'm good with snares, so I'll start with that.

I set up a fast, simple, but fantastically good one that ends up with the tribute's hands behind his back and a rope around his neck. I clanged two metal items together. CLANG! All of the gamemakers looked at me. I nodded, then pushed a dummy into the trap. It worked like a charm, leaving the gamemakers who hadn't already started focusing on food nodding. Good.

Then, I went over to a different dummy and slashed it up expertly with my knife. There. I was done.

I flung the knife into their glass barrier for good measure.

Jack POV

Hiccup came out looking satisfied. However, what if they didn't watch me? What if because I was so tired from staying up last night with Percy that I couldn't do anything right? What if I messed up?

Stop it, Jack, you're being paranoid. It'll be fine. Just walk in the door…

The gamemakers are watching me, all right. That's good. Then I noticed the knife in the glass, and I smile. Good going, Hiccup. Thanks.

I walk right over to the swords and pick the one that's as tall as me again. Smirking, I show off what I can do. I see some raised eyebrows, but that's all. I frown, then go over the The Gauntlet.

Leaping across was easier than before. Instead of 1:22, it's 1:02. Twenty seconds less. I smirk again. The gamemakers are muttering among themselves. Good. I stirred things up. I see them keep on glancing at the clock.

Now, I go to the ropes course. Swinging across and doing awesome tricks. Heh. After I'm done with that, I'm out.

Rapunzel POV

As Jack walks out, I walk in. I really didn't impress them last time, but my abilities to best with a partner.

Using the slingshot that I recently taught myself to use, I get bullseye after bullseye. Huh. They don't seem to be interested. So I go to edible plants. Without batting an eye, I sort them correctly. Ugh. What's the point? I'm not good at fighting… I walk out, depressed. Looks like I'll have to go without sponsors again.

Merida POV

Oh, no. Wonder what's gettin' Punzie down? Oh, great. I see. Stupid gamemakers. I'll show them.

I think I am okay with the bows, so I go there. I quickly warm up, and check on the gamemakers. They're not even paying attention, the bloody-

Oh, I have an idea! I fire an arrow into the glass. Startled glances. Humph. That showed them. Then, another lightbulb! I go to the camouflage table and paint targets on the glass. Then I fire bullseyes into those. I wipe off the targets and paint the gamemaker's heads around them, with brains spilling out. I'm not a good artist, but I think they got the message.

Then I go to the swords and slash them to bits. That felt good. Now, all I need to do is imagine those are gamemakers, and I'm good. Heh. And with one final arrow to make sure those dummies are dead, I stalk out of the room.

(Later that night)

Jack POV

We all wait tensely for our scores. Percy had managed to pull off an 11! That's great! Oh wait, he's not supposed to be my friend. Someone has to kill him eventually. So damn. Ugh… Elfwyn, who was 12, had managed to pull off a 7. Impressive, since she's tiny. Now it's district 12…

Hiccup got… an 8! My turn… woo! A ten! Now it's Punze… 5. She's getting sympathetic pats on the shoulder and sad glances. I'm tempted to do that too and comfort her, but instead I smirk. I feel god-awful, but I need to convince them that I consider them sort of, well, enemies. Ugh…

Now it's Merida… 9! That's good! No one should underestimate District 12!

Everyone's talking… except me. Huh. I wonder if Percy will be in the clearing again tonight… nah. We both need our sleep for the interviews. I slip into bed.

Okay, it's done. I'm going to post a poll to see what pairing it should be. I've already settled with Hiccunzel, but I will leave it to you Fanfictionauts to decide if I should to Percy/Jack or do Jarida and leave Percy to Annabeth back in district 4. 'Cause I have a feeling that maybe some of you are hoping for that, but I'm leaning towards Jarida. And also, people have stopped leaving reviews. Review=happy writer! Goodbye!


	11. Interviews

11- Interviews

Okay, Ix-nay on the Ercy-Jack Pay. Interviews!

Rapunzel POV

Coaching day. Aww. A day with Tooth and Stoic, just about the interviews. Oddly, besides turning against us, Jack continued to be trained with us. Why didn't he ask to be coached separately? Weird.

So, first the girls had etiquette with Tooth.

"Well girls, it's time for the interviews once again! And do you know what that means?"

"Yes," I muttered, in unison with Merida.

Undaunted, Tooth continued: "It's time for etiquette! Yay!" We just stared. "Rapunzel, you just need a reminder, but Merida. You need to be trained! So smile, always smile, and show off those beautiful white teeth…"

Thank God that's over. (I almost typed 'the gods' then I realized that wouldn't make sense in the story. I'm that much of a PJ fan!) so, for Stoic. He's deciding what angle we should go on.

"What are the boys doing?" I wondered.

"My son is doing intelligent. I thought he should do strong and, well, stoic, but he insisted. It's not like his Viking heritage to be intelligent…" he grumbled for a bit here. "And Jack is doing witty and rebellious. Reminds me of Jokul Frosti from Norse legend, he does."

"Why don't you want Hiccup to be intelligent? I think he's perfe- I mean, just fine that way." I blushed. I had been about to say 'perfect'! What is wrong with you, Rapunzel? Huuuuuhhh…

Stoic continued. "I wanted him to follow the way of the Viking. Ah well. We should focus on you two. So, Merida, you first. What was life like at home?"

"Why do ya want ta know? It's my home!"

Stoic nodded thoughtfully. I didn't know he could be thoughtful! "But please, we want to know about you. Sorry for sounding like that, I'm pretending I'm the Capitol interviewer."

"Fine. I live with a regular family, not too rich, not too poor. I have 3 wee brothers who aren't old enough for the reapin' yet. Mah Mum is beautiful and was always tellin' me Scottish legends. Mah Dad is the strongest man in town! He's always helpin' others aroun' the town out with heavy stuff. Ah'm the eldest child, an' ah'm not too bad either."

"Good. I think I know what angle you should go on. Fierce and tough. Slightly angry at the Capitol, maybe. But don't overplay it. That would get rough."

"Gotcha." Merida clipped.

"Now, Rapunzel, your turn. What is life like?"

"Well, we're good off, and I like donating food and water to those better off. And my parents are very kind!"

"Stop," Stoic held up a hand. "I know what we should do. Sweet and innocent for you. How does that sound?"

I'm about to reply, yes, that sounds great, when a scream comes from the etiquette room.

"OH MY GOSH! YOUR TEETH ARE SO WHITE! THEY SPARKLE LIKE FRESHLY FALLEN SNOW!" Tooth?

"Too'! 'Ease 'e 'our ha's ou' o' 'y 'outh!" Jack's voice came out also, sounding muffled.

"Oh, sorry… I really like teeth…" Tooth explained, embarrassed. "Heheh…"

"It's all right." Jack had a smile in his voice. I turned back to Merida and Stoic, only to find them stifling chuckles and smirks. I found myself doing the same thing because of their faces. It was hilarious!

After a second of just looking at each other, we all burst into laughter.

"Hey!" Tooth and Jack cried out in unison. That just made us laugh harder, and I heard us being joined by Hiccup's cute chuckles.

(Time Lapse)

Merida POV

It was the next night, and time for the interviews. But I was still confused by something last night. I had seen Jack sneak out of his room. He had looked pretty suspicious… but when I followed him, I lost him in a hallway. Odd.

But, back to interviews. It was Hiccup's turn. He, like Jack, was in a blazer that had an ever-shifting look to it, in all the different shades of red, yellow, orange, and everything in-between. Though I had to say, those weren't really his or Jack's best colors. Me and Rapunzel were in beautiful dresses in the same materials and colors as the boys', except with gemstones on the bottom. I had a distinct feeling that these were copying Cinna's design for Katniss Everdeen. I wonder if that means something… though Aster, or, Bunny, is a clothes genius.

So, the interviewer is a friend of Stoic's. His name is Gobber.

"So, Hiccup, what do you think of your chances in these Games? Are you confident, being the son of a champion, and being a champion yourself?"

"I don't know exactly, I can't see the future, but based on the scores we got, I think our team has a pretty good chance."

"I see! So, any pretty ladies that you're after back at home?"

"All I'll say is 'the best way to keep a secret, is to keep it to yourself'."

"Ooh! So there is one?"

"Yes, based on my choice of words, you can deduce that."

"What do you do or plan to do for a living?"

"Well, I'm looking for career options that have to do with animals or some way I can use the skills I got in the arena."

Then, a beep went off. Gobber heard it too. "Well, everybody, Hiccup Haddock!"

The crowd roared for him as he exited the stage. It was Jack's turn now.

As he sat down, he donned a cocky smirk that made me want to punch him.

Gobber began immediately. "So, you're Jackson Overland, correct?"

"Yeah, but I prefer Jack."

"So then, Jack, what is your opinion of the Capitol so far?"

"Let me just say, food that's all Capitols!"

The crowd laughed, including Gobber. "If you like the food so much, which is your favorite?"

"Hmm, that's a tough one. I like the potato-leek soup. It's just great."

"Yeah, I love that one too! Oh," Gobber's eyes grew interested, "what did you think of the opening ceremonies?"

I sensed a slight change in Jack's demeanor. He knew he was treading on thin ice. "The costumes were great, though I was paranoid that I would burn."

"And what do you think of your stylist?"

"Oh, Cottontail?" Jack scoffed. Apparently the whole crowd knew Bunny too, because they laughed. "He and I don't get along very well. He's bossy. I like to do my own thing."

"Aah, I see! Now, in the recaps, we all think that was your sister, is that right?"

Jack seemed sullen now. "Yeah. She was my sister. Emma."

"And how old was she?"

"12. I hadn't let her take any tesserae, but still she got pulled. I am really grateful to Merida for volunteering. I owe her a life debt. And I always repay my debts."

And on that ominous note, the bell rang.

Jack exited the stage, and everything was quiet, processing. Gobber snapped out o it first, and called, "Rapunzel Corona!"

"Here! She squeaked, then flushed in embarrassment and hopped onto the stage.

As she settled into the chair, Gobber asked, "So Rapunzel, boy that's a mouthful, what's life like at home?"

"Oh! You can call me Punzie, all my friends do," the audience all look amused and happy at the same time, "and it's great! My Dad is the mayor, and we spend a lot of time helping people and donating food and clothes. And, somehow, we got a pet mutation that was sick and wandered out of the woods. We cured it, and it stayed with us. He's a little lizard, and he can change colors! I named him Pascal. I miss him already."

Gobber looked slightly confused, but pressed on. "You are quite lovely, you know that? I bet the boys at home are all falling for you!"

Rapunzel giggled, then blushed. "Well, there is one, but I'm not sure if he likes me back. And no, I'm not going to say his name!" She squeaked.

"Aww, come on!"

"No!" She said, firm.

Gobber sighed. "Ahh, well. We'll just have to settle for not knowing, then."

She nodded, giggling once again as the bell went off. "Goodbye, everyone!" And then she pecked Gobber on the cheek. Hiccup scowled. Uh oh, does he like her?

Wait. Bigger problems. It's my turn to be interviewed.

"Everybody, welcome Merida DunBroch!" Gobber calls out. My palms are sweaty. Great. I wobble up the stairs. The crowd is silent in anticipation. What for? Me to make a fool of myself in front of them.

"So, Merida, what is your life like at home?"

Okay, me, what is life like at home? Pretend like the audience is full of people who haven't worked a single day of their life. Oh yeah, they haven't.

"Mah Dad is the strongest man in the village! He works in the mines in his free time, an' his full-time job is hauling. People are always comin' ta him to haul heavy things. I've helped him a couple o' times, so ah'm strong too." I crack my knuckles. "Mum works… with herbs." I was about to say 'selling stuff in the Hob', but I changed at the last second, since people do come to her with ailments if there are no other alternatives. "She can heal pretty well, bu' she mostly stays a' home. Bu' I jus' can't remember what she tries ta teach me. Ah don't wan' ta work as a healer anyway."

"I see! That sounds interesting! Now, you got a whopping 9 on your score! What happened?"

"If I were you, the message that 'tributes aren't allowed to tell' would have gotten through already."

"Oh! You seem pretty confident! Especially with being the only volunteer in your district."

"YOU THINK I WANT TO BE PREPARING TO KILL OTHER PEOPLE AND MAYBE GET KILLED MYSELF?!" Everyone is staring at me. I take a second to catch my breath and compose myself. "I only volunteered because, when I watched that girl, Emma, walk up, I thought, 'she's to young to die.' And she was so scared, and she had a family… and a big brother that loved her… I couldn't let her die all alone in the arena."

My eyes are closed, because I don't want to see Jack. My cheeks feel hot. What is wrong with me? I feel everyone's gazes. I pry open my eyes, and cast them around, like I'm not afraid of anything.

It's totally silent.

The buzzer rings.

I exit the stage.

We all leave.

I fall asleep.

That chapter was HARD. I kind of used it to get some backstory on Rapunzel and Merida. And, well, yeah. No Percy/Jack. Okay! :) see ya!


	12. Mistake

Ch. 12- Mistake

So, this is a double update.

Nightmare POV

"Load all the weapons into the arena!" Master, master, of course master…

Other, bigger nightmares are loading weapons, must find weapon to please Master…

Shiny, shiny, pretty silver thing… shaped like a corner, little rod on one of the ends, hole on another… Master calls it a 'gun'? Yes, yes, a gun… guns are weapons…

Master will be very pleased!

Wait… remember this… shot… human… transformation… no. Can't be it… then Master won't be pleased. Master wouldn't leave it laying around. Can put gun in…

There it goes, bye bye, pretty gun…

Pitch POV

Ugh. Okay, every weapon is loaded, I have to find a way to make my nightmares more intelligent. I'm saving Fearlings for battle, they are much more intelligent.

Now, I need to get that gun stored. Good thing none of the nightmares can go in, it's forbidden.

WHAT?! WHERE IS IT?! WHERE IS THE GUN FULL OF THE NIGHTMARE PELLETS?!

Breath… you probably already put it in the store.

I watch the weapons pull out for the arena… wait… THERE IT IS! MY GUN! THE NIGHTMARE PELLETS!

No… no… no… it's gone…

I take up a machine to seek the Nightmare Pellet's signature. There's one on a nightmare, a small one…

Nightmare POV

Ooh! Here comes Master… he must be proud… Master, Master! Aren't you proud, Master?

Master?

Why are you coming with that knife?


	13. Begin

Ch. 13- Begin

Hi! So, I have a little story to tell. About a week ago, I had a voice in my head. G'syr. That's how I know what he says. He's on vacation right now.

Then Merida came in. Then Jack, screaming about a party. Then Rapunzel and Pascal. Then Hiccup and Toothless. They talked in my head a couple of times, and once Mer asked if I could change the channel once. I had to explain how the grown-ups wouldn't do it for a figment of my imagination. She then proceeded to yell at me about how 'she isn't a figment of my imagination.' She even called my a jerk. Just a second- No, Mer, I know this song is weird, and though I like your persistence, I can't change the channel. I'm sorry. Sorry about that. The Big Four just got back from a vacation that they hadn't told me about. IM NOT CRAZY. Okay, maybe a little bit. Sorry for the long A/N. Jack wouldn't stop bugging me to tell you how he gets all the credit for the story. No, Jack, you don't get all the credit. You get the credit for helping me stay in character. Same with the others. Now, chapter time!

Merida POV

60 seconds. I'm standing next to Rapunzel, and then a small gap to Jason Grace.

50 seconds. I'm on a pretty little strip of land with rivers surrounding it.

40 seconds. Something moves in the river.

30 seconds. The cornucopia is made of polished, dark wood. It's in the center of a willow made of silver.

20 seconds. There's some food about a yard away, and a little red backpack.

10 seconds. I flex my hands nervously.

5 seconds. My legs morph into a ready lunge.

The gong rings, and I dash a few steps to the bag of food and the backpack, scooping them up fast. I nod to Hiccup, who scoops up a couple daggers. Punzie has some blankets in her hand. We run away with what we have, and out of the coming bloodbath. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Jack fighting a district 7 man who is twice his size. With the Careers. I scowl.

We sprint for a while, the sound of screams behind us. Hiccup is glancing around us, and I see there are lots of rivers and small ponds. It's like a jungle in here.

We run for another few minutes and, suddenly, Hiccup stops in front of me, and I bump into him.

"Haddock! What's goin' on with ya?" I hiss.

He just points in front of him. I missed it in falling down, but there is the still-standing ruins of a small house.

"It seems like a good place to set up camp. Let's go in." And with that, he marches through the door. Rapunzel follows him happily. I stay out, and look around. There is a clear river running through the clearing, which is well disguised by trees. There are some tracks, wolf maybe?, that look like they came through about an hour ago.

In the backpack, there is a few thermoses, ropes, a hunting knife, pellets and a slingshot, and a pair of sunglasses. No, wait. These aren't sunglasses. I heard that in a Games, somebody mistook night-vision goggles for sunglasses, and they got killed. And then the Careers got the goggles and the one that kept them won. I examine them closer, and they are definitely not for the bright orb they have on the roof.

I go over to the river to fill up a thermos. Then I see a fin slide through the water, and then something lunges out at me. I stab it through the head with the knife, and it lies dead on the ground.

It is long, serpentine, and has HUGE teeth. Suddenly very nervous, I fill up the thermoses and rush into the cottage, dragging the fish, maybe eel, with me.

Rapunzel is putting blankets on the beds, and Hiccup is staring at some scratches on the wall. "OI!" I yell. They both turn to me. I quickly explain what happened.

Everything is silent for a moment, then Hiccup mutters, "I bet all of the rivers and ponds are infested with these deadly eels. I hate eels."

Rapunzel, cheery as ever, says, "If only we had a fire, we could cook this fish perfectly!"

Hiccup looks up. "Good idea, Punze, but fire might give us away… "

I went outside and picked up two rocks. I went and sent a spark over the fireplace, instantly making a fire. I don't know why. I was feeling, angry, rebellious, betrayed. Betrayed… I don't know why. Maybe it's Ja… no. I don't know why.

Hiccup scowls at me. "Merida! Why did you do that?"

I just shrug.

Do I want Jack to find u… no. He is a traitor, and I will never forgive him.

Jack POV

I'm perched on the silver willow, looking over the water-filled arena. I watched Snotlout haul out the dead bodies:

Junior MacIntosh from District 5,

Bergthold Trol from District 7,

And Jacob Stienzag and Jessie Steel from District 9.

I'm still kind of shocked. I actually killed a man twice my size. I killed a man. Bergthold… did he have a family at home? Kids… no. He's not that type of man. Lots of people clapped when he was chosen, and nobody seemed sad at all.

I wonder where they went…

"Hey! Overland! Get down here!" Great. Jason, the last person I want to deal with right now. I leap down the tree, using the branches.

"What is it, oh great leader?"

He scowls. "What did you see up there?"

"It looks like a jungle. Lots of rivers, a few ponds, and a giant lake with a statue in it."

"All right. Which direction was the lake?

"South."

"And which way is that…?"

Seriously? This guy doesn't know which way south is? "That way." I point. "Though I would stay here, not lug it over there. It would tire us out, and since its a while away, it would leave us open to ambush."

He glowers at me. "Fine. You have a point, I guess. Anything else I should know about?"

"No." Actually, there is. I just don't want to tell you, jerk…

It's not too far away.

Smoke.

Just wait until its my turn to guard.

So, was this good? Was chapter 12 ominous? Heheheh… I bet you know what's going to happen! *creepy smile* Oh, and in your reviews, since G'syr sees them, please ask him to cut short his vacation! I'm sure we can convince him together!

Shout outs:

Galatea R.S: thank you! I was hoping they would be interesting! And I just couldn't help adding in Jokul Frosti. Heehee!

Guest: … that is the nicest review I've ever gotten. *sniff*

Goodbye!


	14. First Deaths

Ch. 14- First Deaths

Hi! Some clarification about the last A/N, I was so hyper focused on the story, 'cause I've had this in my head for a while, that some part of my brain has started responding to things I think about/see the way the characters would, because I picture the story in my mind. I'm not crazy. Oh, and it's not going to get super exciting for a bit. Sorry!

Merida POV

Things have fallen into a sort of routine for me, Hiccup, and Rapunzel. Rapunzel has been cooking the Fins (my name for the fish), I've been hunting, and Hic's been working on decoding some weird symbols that he's found on the walls of the cabin. I'm not sure what language it is, only that the Capitol isn't smart enough to make up their own language.

It's been hard, only eating fish and saving the rations I found for later, but at least it's a brain food.

What puzzles me is that we haven't seen any other tributes, not even the Careers. Huh. Actually, it puzzles Hiccup, and he told me and Punzie, but that doesn't matter.

I watch a little hummingbird flit around the clearing. Those little bird are everywhere.

Lately I've been scouting out a better place, and I think I've found one. A GIANT castle, and from what Mum and Da have shown me and told me about, it's Scottish design. It'll make me feel like a princess. Hmph. A sporty one that hates dresses and rules of all kinds. And who never follows them.

My prince would be like me, wants to have fun, rule breaker, sporty, but with brown hair and warm brown eyes-

Bad Merida.

Wow, these games must really be boring. Im thinking about being a princess. Maybe I'll go out and hunt some tributes. Yeah, that sounds fun!

"I GOT IT!" Whoa, I've never heard Hiccup be so loud!

I stalk inside just as Rapunzel eagerly asks, "What does it say?" Oh. The runes.

He straightens, then says, "After many hard days of working-"

"Just get on with it, Haddock…" I sigh loudly.

He glares at me, and huffs. "Fine. I've decoded it. It says, 'Under the top of blue glass, the secret is kept.' Exactly that. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to decode other phrases more easily now, though I'm not sure what language it is."

Rapunzel beams at him. "Good job!.

He smiles at her as I say, "Good. 'Cause we're movin' location."

They both stare at me in shock, and I just stare back. "We leave tomorrow."

Hiccup is the first to recover. "Why? Why haven't you told us before now, where are we going-" he stops as I punch him in the arm.

"Because if we stay here to long, other tributes will find us, I only found the location this morning, and we're going to a big Scottish castle. And," I cut him off as his mouth opens, "Yes, I checked it out and there are no other tributes there."

He lets out a big breath. "Okay. Sorry."

Rapunzel looks around anxiously, "I'll start packing! We need our stuff… right?"

Hiccup smiles at her. "Right. Now, I'll right down my key for the symbols and the message in this journal I found in the backpack. Mer, can you start doing some hunting?" I nod curtly and head outside.

Jack POV

It's almost sunset, and then I have my turn at watch, finally.

My plan will, at last, be put into action.

I'm surveying the pile in preparation when I hear screams.

Snotlout and Ruffnut come charging in, dragging a tribute each. I recognize them as Reven King and Cottawilda Buttermilk from District 7. Snotlout grunts out, "Found these two, and a third we couldn't nab in a cove over in the east." He nods in the direction of the west. Stupid.

Jason smiles. "Well, lets take them out, huh?" Most of the Careers cheer, except me and Percy. There's some halfhearted clapping from the rest of district 4. Jason turns to me. "Why don't you do it, Jack? Kill them!"

I feel sick. But these people would need to die anyway, for… them… to win. God, it hurts to even think about them. But, I need to kill them.

I go and try to select a weapon, but none seem right. So, I decide to use my hands. I form fists, then release. I breath in and out deeply… they're looking at me. I can't procrastinate any more. Damn.

I take one more big, deep breath… and bring the side of my hand down on Reven's neck. A loud snap fills the air, and his neck is broken. I feel sickened. This kid was Emma's age.

Well, it's time for Cottawilda, who looks about 20. Her neck will be harder to snap, so I take it in both hands and twist. Another crack, louder than last, echo through the forest. I heard two bangs from the canon.

I just killed two more people.

Everybody is whispering and looking at my hands now, except Percy. He just gives me a sympathetic look and moves to my side.

As Snotlout drags the bodies away, Percy climbes the silver weeping willow while I leap, using branches and the trunk as a springboard. When we get to the top, Percy puffs, "How do you do that? That leaping thing?"

I smirk. "I don't know, only that it took a lot of practice, and it included me getting yelled at by others in the Seam for bouncing off the walls. Literally."

We both chuckle, and then Percy asks, "Do you know how weeping willows were created?"

"No, how?"

"One day, the sun god Helios was riding his sun chariot across the sky."

"Wait, I thought you said Apollo was the sun god!"

"In some legends. Well, after his day's work, Helios visited his son, and his son asked him to grant him one wish. He pestered Helios until he swore on the River Styx. And the son wished to drive the sun chariot across the sky for one day.

"Helios tried to talk him out of it, for only Helios could control the horses that were reined to the chariot, but the son refused to change his wish. So Helios gave him the sun chariot.

"The next day, the son was driving the sun chariot. He brought it up so far from the earth that it froze over, then down so far it was scorched. The horses, sensing an inexperienced driver, ran away.

"Helios's son fell to earth and landed in the river, drowning. Helios mourned, and his daughters, the Nymphs of the Sun, cried by the river he died in for so long they turned into weeping willow trees."

I'm silent for a moment, then I say, "That's a sad myth."

Percy nodded. "Yeah."

We're quiet as the sun goes down, and then Jason calls out, "Time to sleep! Jack, it's your turn to guard!"

I'm down first, and when Percy gets down, Jason pulls him over. Then Percy strides toward me. "Jason, after seeing your strength in killing, doesn't trust you. So he wants me to watch you."

I nod. When all the other Careers are asleep, I whisper, "You won't give me away?"

He shakes his head. "Nope."

We share a smile, then I collect some supplies.

(The next morning)

Merida POV

I'm awake early, and collecting our meager bunch of supplies when I hear Hiccup talk.

"Guess it's time to go, huh? Aw well. I've kind of gotten attached to this place."

"Yep." I sling the red backpack over my shoulder as Rapunzel yawns.

"So, Sleeping Beauty is finally awake." Hiccup teases. She blushes, then nudges him playfully.

"Let's go, hup hup!" I shout, and I open the door, and stop.

Punzie peeks over my shoulder. "What is- oh my gosh!"

Hiccup just throws startled blinks at the pile of supplies on the doorstep.

Rapunzel pushes through the blockade that is me. "Let's see… apples, beef jerky, iodine, some fresh Fin in a bag, ooh, a frying pan! Those are good weapons, and good for cooking, too… oh, hey… Merida? Didn't you say you were pretty good with a bow?"

"Yeah, why… DON'T TELL ME ONE'S IN THE PILE."

"One's in the pile."

I have to look for myself. Sure enough, there's one right in front of me, with a quiver filled with twice as many arrows as there is supposed to be.

I just stare. Hiccup words what we are all thinking: "Who gave this to us?"

Rapunzel speaks hesitantly. "Do you think it's-"

"No! It's not him! He betrayed us! He wouldn't do this!" I half whisper, half shout.

"But-" she starts again.

"NO! I'm not listening, Lalalalala…"

They drop the subject. But as we trudge toward the castle, I wonder…

Did he do it?

Aaaand, that's it. Haha, hope you liked this chapter! Not particularly exciting, just a small riddle and some self-conflict with Jack. *smirks* Anyway, shoutouts!

Galatea R.S- I'm sorry if this isn't particularly interesting, seeing as it's a filler… and, um, what did the first part mean?

Guest- hahah! I'm glad chapter 12 had the desired effect! And, I'm sorry to say, (MINOR SPOILER TO ANYONE READING!) that Jack won't tell them until he gets caught by the Careers, he gets caught by them, or the Careers find them, though he's going to do his best to lead them away from them. Them meaning the other District 12 tributes.

Okay. Those were the only two reviewers, and reviews make my day! So, I'm very grateful to Galatea R.S for reviewing almost every chapter, and all of the guests who reviewed, or if you're the same person. If you are different people, please give yourself a guest name that you go by for me!

And, on a different note, I'd like you guys to know that I'm seeing my mom for the first time in a while, so I most likely won't be updating for a WHOLE WEEK. T_T oh, and if you like ROTG only fics too, I'd recommend Project: GUARDIAN- The Rise and Fall by Her Head in The Clouds. It's about spies, and it's awesome. It's an AU. I'll probably post the link to the first chapter in chapter 15. I'll have to do it before G'syr gets back, he doesn't approve of that kind of thing. Okay, buh-bye!


	15. Settling In

Ch. 15- Conflicts

Merida POV

I trudge along next to Rapunzel and Hiccup, my bow slung over my shoulder. I feel so jittery, out in the open.

"So, Mer, what is the castle like?" Hic asks, breaking the tense silence.

"It's big, and made out o' stone. It has torn up banners all o'er the walls. It's disguised by a lot o' trees, and near a big lake. Lots o' rivers around it too. There doesn't seem to be many Fins in the lake. Pretty much everythin' in there is torn up, but there is still some water flowin' and some old cookin' utensils. In one room, there's…"

"There's what?" Asks Punzie, picking up on my nervousness.

"There's a creepy tapestry, that has a strong looking man with red hair, an elegant woman with brown hair, a girl that looks like me, and three young boys. They look a lot like mah family! On the other side, there are bears where the people were. Ah'm kind o' scared o' bears." I shiver. "But the creepiest part is, all their eyes have been torn out. Or someone sewed the eyes as big black voids." Rapunzel is looking a bit nervous by now. "There are those symbols you were looking at, Hic, all around it."

Hiccup looks interested now. "Can you show me?"

I nod. "Sure."

We're at the castle now. "Comon, Mer, where's the tapestry?"

I sigh. "Follow me, Hiccup. Punzie, you comin'?" She nods nervously. I lead them up a couple flights of stairs. Then I push the door open and lead them in.

Rapunzel shivers. "It's a lot creepier than you described, Merida."

I swallow, then nod. Hiccup is looking at the symbols, barely glancing at the cloth. "Yep, they're the same as in the cottage. I'm thinking that in every ruin, there's going to be a clue in this language. Anyway, it says, '_Shoot the heart's heart, and the answer will be revealed_.' There is a slight variation of the letters at the beginning, so that's probably a capital, and there's a variation on the 'h' of the first 'heart', so that means the first heart is capital 'H' and it's a proper person, place, or thing…" he started muttering to himself.

Punzie rolls her eyes. "When he gets like this, there's no way to make sense of it or stop him. Let's go settle in. Pascal's getting hungry."

I widen my eyes. "You brought your pet mutt?"

She looks sheepish. "Yeah… he was with me in the arena the first time, too. He helps me sleep. Also, he sometimes agrees to scout around."

"Oh. Well, he's pretty useful."

"Yep… I think I'll go check on Hiccup."

And as she turned back towards Hic, a small green lizard waved at me from her shoulder.

As I'm dozing, Rapunzel runs down to get me. "Merida! Merida! Hiccup's figured it out!"

I snap out of my daze, saying, "Really?"

She beams. "Yes! Come on!" She drags me up the stairs. I'm greeted by the sight of Hiccup running at me. He starts shaking my shoulders. "Merida! Take out your bow! Shoot at the teen girl's heart!"

"Wait! Hic! Slow down!" I shout. "What are ya talkin' abou'?"

"You have to shoot an arrow at the center person's, or 'Heart's' heart! It'll trigger something!" He says, rushing the words. "Ugh, it was so simple! Why did it take me all day to figure it out? I was looking too much into the lines, I failed to see the obvious…"

"Okay, Hic. Bu', aren't ya worried tha' it'll trigger a trap?"

"Yes, but we have to try! They wouldn't go to the trouble of hiding a castle so well for nothing!"

"Okay, Hic, you're going to hurt something. I'll do it." As Hiccup regains his breath, I notch an arrow, then shoot it through the girl's heart.

The second it embeds itself in the wall behind the cloth, I hear clicks, like gears are turning. And then the wall opens up like a door.

Hiccup is staring, wide-eyed. Why? He expected this to happen. I turn back to the door, prepared to walk in, when I saw what surprised Hiccup so much.

The one thing we didn't expect:

A boy.

Jack POV

I rub my eyes, finally morning. That was a loooong night. I was jumping out of my skin with fright whenever I heard something or someone snored. Huuuuuh… and I didn't get a wink of sleep.

It was worth it.

Jason stands up. "All right, Careers! We're going hunting! What's the prey, you ask? **TRIBUTES**!" Cheers erupt. Looks like my nap will have to wait till later. "I say, we head north to look!" Uh oh. panic attack panic attack panic attack the others are north oh god panic attack… get a hold of yourself, Jack!

"Weeeeell, let's choose our guards, how about, Drew and Fishlegs!" There's some disappointed muttering from the chosen two, but otherwise everybody's happy. "Let's move out!"

And he leads the charge of rabid Careers northward.

Ethan Nakamura puts his hand on the ground, then sniffs the dirt. "Someone came this way, recently. It overlaps with 3 people who came about a week ago."

Jason nods, and runs ahead, and everyone follows. Thank god Ethan can't pick up who came this way…

We weave our way through the undergrowth, and come into a clearing with a small, old cottage in the center. Jason smiles, and enters. I guess I'm going to die now, even if it's just to let the others in my district escape. If that's who's even in there. God, I didn't think of that. What if it wasn't them in there?

Jason opens the door, and scowls. "Looks like they want to play a little game of hide-and-seek." He curls his lip. "And if you find one, kill them."

The other Careers start turning the place upside-down, gasping when they find evidence that someone was there in the first place. They should know better, Ethan's a great tracker.

About an hour later, when Percy, Ethan, Jason, and I are just leaning against the wall (since me, Percy, and Ethan know that they're not there, Jason just never joined in), Ethan finally walks over to Jason.

"They're not here, Jason. I think I can track them to where they went, though."

"Why didn't you say that before? Let's move out, Careers!" It takes a couple of minutes to get through the traffic jam that's by the door.

Ethan is crouching on the ground again. "They went east, and it was this morning, a couple of hours ago. Follow me."

The walk is long, giving me some time to think. It was a good thing those people weren't there, for their sake and mine. Before they would be killed, they would probably be asked questions about the items, and they'd tell them how it appeared on their doorstep, and I'd be busted. Maybe. Where were they going-

Oh. That's where they went.

The big castle loomed before us, and I heard shouts coming from the other Careers. It would take forever to find them in that…

Jason scowls. "Ugh. We prepare and rest tonight, and move back here tomorrow. It's too big to find them, tonight." And without checking if we're following, he turns heel and starts walking back. "But we will find them, and we will kill them."

Double cliffhanger! Sorry if Jack's POV was a bit sucky. But, just think that it shows his exhaustion. Yeah! Okay, shout-outs:

Galatea R.S- it's fine! You're not a horrible person! Everybody gets tired out by school. And every review is a good review. I'm just happy you did! Thanks for reviewing!

RotBTDfan1937- I'm glad you enjoy it! Here is more!

Goodbye, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	16. Caught

Ch. 16- Caught

Merida POV

The boy has brown eyes, elvish ears, and curly black hair. He jumps back in surprise, and then takes off running, shouting, "Beckandorf! Bianca! Nyssa! We got company!"

Hiccup lets out a few choice words that I'm surprised he knows.

"Great. Of course there're others in there. Looks like the District 3s. I'm guessing that was Leo. Let's go after him." As he steps into the secret passageway, the District 3s come around the corner, holding swords, and in Leo's case, a knife.

Beckandorf steps forward. "Give us one good reason why we shouldn't kill you."

Hiccup, thank God, thinks fast. "Because we can help, and we won't kill you, either. If you attack us, you're going to lose a couple."

Beckandorf thinks for a minute, then nods. "Lower your weapons, guys." As his teammates oblige, I lower my bow and put the arrow back in the quiver. "So, what's your business here, and how'd you figure out the mechanism?"

Hiccup answers yet again. "We were just changing areas. My business here was the same reason we figured out the door. I figured out how to translate the symbols that pop up everywhere, and they give clues. The clue in the castle that we found led us on here."

Beckandorf nods. "That does sound useful. What's your name? Mine's Beckandorf, that's Leo, this is Bianca, and this is Nyssa."

"I'm Hiccup, and this is Merida and Rapunzel."

"Oh yeah, you're the ones with the strange names."

Hiccup scowls at that, then sighs. "I'll forgive that if we make an alliance."

Beckandorf chuckles, "Sure."

Leo sighs loudly. "Good. I don't want to have to kill anybody yet."

Rapunzel smiles. "Me neither."

Beckandorf takes charge again. "So, any other clues?"

When Hiccup looks reluctant, I punch him. "Hic, you offered the information! Ya can't just back out!"

He he glares at me until Rapunzel asks. "C'mon, Hiccup, please?"

"Fine. We only have one other clue. 'Under the top of blue glass, the secret is kept.' Not super clear, huh? I'm still working on that one."

The big African American nods swiftly. "Me and Nyssa are going to prepare dinner." They walk out quickly.

Punzie blinks. "You have that much food?"

Leo grins. "Not a ton, but enough for a full stomach every night."

Bianca purses her lips at me. "But you guys have your own food, right? You should eat that." Then suddenly she's glaring. "I'll have you know that this alliance is temporary. I have a little brother that I'm planning to get back to." Then she too walks off. I'm suddenly reminded of Jack. Even though they're nothing alike, Jack and Bianca both have younger siblings that they need to get back to. I wonder what he's doing.

Leo is chattering away. "Bianca can sometimes be grumpy, sorry about that. Anyway, we can't understand those symbols. Can you give us the key? Oh wait, you wouldn't want us to have that when our alliance splits up sorry. Who wants to play Rock Paper Scissors?"

We just stare at him. "You guys don't have that in District 12?"

Rapunzel breaks out in a grin. "Oh, no, we were just surprised that you'd think of that in the middle of a Hunger Games!"

"Oh yeah, BIANCA! BECKANDORF! NYSSA! ROCK PAPER SCIZZORS TOURNAMENT!"

After a dinner of Fin, we all go to bed.

We wake up to footsteps and yells.

Jack POV

I finger the big, hooked branch that I found on the ground. Everybody's charging around the castle, looking for the tributes. Nobody else has noticed that there's an arrow sticking into the weird tapestry. I examined it for a bit, and saw that it was some kind of trigger.

Agh! Somebody's coming up, and I haven't taken the arrow out yet! I'm screwed!

Piper appears through the staircase. She looks at me, then the tapestry, then the arrow. "Story?" She asks pointedly.

I do my best to keep a poker face. "I came up here and found this. It seems to be some kind of trigger. And before you ask, I was about to tell everyone."

She nods. "Good. I'll call Jason. Then we can see just what it triggers."

She leaves. All I can do right now is ready myself, and hope that nobody's in there.

After a few minutes, everybody's piled up in this small room, with Jason at the front. The District 1 tribute looks at me. "So, Jack, you found this. Explain, then you trigger it."

I swallow. "So I was looking, and I decided to come up here. I found the arrow in the tapestry, and I looked at it for a bit. Turns out, it was in some kind of a trigger that the tapestry was covering." Then I spin around and stab the arrow right through the thin tear.

There's a series of clunks, and a big door swings open.

Some people look impressed, while others are scowling at me. Jason nods swiftly, saying "Nice job, Overland. Now, let's go in." Drew hurriedly pushes her way in.

_Twang!_ Suddenly Drew has an arrow straight through her neck, oozing blood. She starts coughing, red liquid flying out of her mouth, the convulses and topples over.

We all stare in shock for a second, before a second arrow flys into Kida, one of Percy's friends. Luckily, it's a quicker and less gory death, but still painful. Ethan is knocked on the head with a frying pan, and then Hiccup, and four other tributes that I don't recognize come charging out. Damn, my cover has to go. I hook the nearest person, who happens to be Ruffnut, with my staff, bring her close. I snap her neck with a swift blow from my hands.

I see Hiccup staring at me, and I smirk at him. I charge, closing in for the kill…

Of Snotlout, who's behind him. Hiccup looks startled that I wasn't trying to kill him. I wasn't sure if that was good or bad, since he thought I was a threat, but that also that my plan worked. I'll think about that later.

Snotlout is a challenge. He has a pretty big sword, as long as my branch. He keeps on trying to stab me. The sword has to go.

I hook the handle out of his grip, disarming him. Then I bring him in close and drag him into a corner. I'm going to make this nice and slow…

He lands a couple of punches on my face. I kick his stomach. Soon enough, we're in a fistfight. I've taken some bad injuries. I'm not sure I can do this too much longer…

Suddenly, Snotlout stiffens. Then he falls back words, pushing the arrow that sprouted from his back through his chest. Long arrow.

I see Merida looking at me, another arrow notched in her bow. I grin at her, and spit a tooth out. "Never liked that guy."

She gives me a tight lipped smile, like she's angry at me. I would be too. Huh…

I push off the wall and do a flip over Merida, landing behind her. I'm about to run to a different fight when out of the corner of my eye I see a knife blade coming right at me. It's going to pierce a lung if it hits me! Then, out of nowhere, a sword blocks it. I look around me to see Percy fighting Ethan, his sword against Ethan's knife. Percy grins at me for a second. "I got your back, Jack!"

I give him a grateful smile. He's siding with me even though Merida killed Kida… which is more than I can say for the others. Frank is looking conflicted, and Amphitrite is fighting a slender girl with black hair.

Jason scowls, seeing how he's losing. "Careers, retreat!"

The remainders, (Jason, Piper, Ethan, Astrid, Fishlegs, and Amphitrite) run out, Frank and Percy staying with me.

I lean on my branch, exhausted. Hiccup is searching the killed's belongings, Rapunzel is using torn-up pieces of cloth from around the castle and bandaging wounds, Frank is standing uncomfortably next to Percy, Percy is cleaning Kida's body to take her outside, and Merida is just looking at me.

Am elf-ish guy and the dark-haired girl are standing beside a big, buff, brown-haired woman, who is kneeling by an African-American man, who's dead.

The living boy walks over to Rapunzel and murmurs something. She gasps, and cries out, "Beckandorf's dead?!" The boy nods sadly. Tears start coming out of her eyes.

Hiccup walks over to comfort her, his arm around her shoulders.

Merida shuffles over to me. "That's Leo, that's Bianca," she points to the boy and the dark-haired girl, "and that's Nyssa." She points at the grieving brunette.

I nod. "Thank you, Merida. And," I look straight into her eyes, "I'm sorry."

Then I go into the walls, find an empty space, and fall asleep.

Phew! That was my first battle scene I've ever written… G'syr: I'M BACK, EVERYONE! I had a nice vacation in the Bahamas, my second choice to the arctic. I'm glad to be back!

Sol: yep, it's nice to have him back. He's one of my only friends right now, with my other friend in Germany. :( But it's also nice to have you readers! I hope you liked this chap, and I know Beckandorf died too soon. He could have had a nice life, married his girlfriend… huuuuh. I'm depressing myself just thinking about it. Anyway, lots of death in this chap! And Jack is finally back with the others! Yay! Though its going to be veeeeery awkward telling them that he told Percy and not them. I had fun writing this, even though Jack's might be a little crappy. 'Cause I wasn't able to fall asleep until 12:00 after reading Powerless Guardian, and right when I was about to fall asleep, the hotel that I was staying in's alarm clock went off at 12:00, and it took me another 2 hours to fall asleep. Then I woke up at eight. And then, luckily, Mom let me sleep until 9:00, so I had 7 hours of sleep. Gaaag. Oaky, rant over. G'syr: try not to stay up late reading fanfiction anymore then, Sol. It's your own fault. Sol: shut up. Shoutouts:

Galatea R.S- there! G'syr is back, (he didn't tell me he was going to the Bahamas ): ), you found out who was in the castle, (though sadly with the price of character death) and since you mentioned it: I will never abandon a story. It's like leaving your baby out in the streets. Thanks for reviewing!

Doodlebug Diva- lots of drama. Hunger Games are dramatic XD

GuestWhoReviews- I thought so! And, well, now you know! None other than Leo Valdez!

Well, hope you like it! Oh, and the link I promised:

Project: GUARDIAN- the Rise and Fall (for those who like action)

Summery:

When Princess Thia is kidnapped by British terrorist, Pitch Black, a

mysterious secret agent comes the rescue. But protecting her is a challenge as

he is wanted dead by multiple spy agencies. Now she and the ex-spy who only

goes by the codename 'JACK FROST' must work together and stop Pitch, all while

uncovering the dark secrets of something he left called the GUARDIAN program.

AU

Link: s/9095215/1/Project-GUARDIAN-The-Rise-Fall

Powerless Guardian (for those who like comedy)

Summary: A monster who feeds on immortality appears, and Jack becomes his

unfortunate victim. Now Jack, with all his immortality gone, is forced to live

a drama-filled life as a normal 18-year-old boy named Jack Overland, all the

while trying to find a way to become Jack Frost once again. Cover art by

MaddieSeth on deviantArt.

Link: s/8775056/1/Powerless-Guardian

G'bye! G'syr: Goodbye…

*we both exit*

*G'syr starts shouting about advertising in stories as soon as he thinks we're alone*


	17. Explanation

Ch. 17- Explanation

I, am a horrible excuse for a human being. I'm sorry for the late update. I am very very sorry.

Merida POV

I bang the pots and pans in the castle together. Seriously, those late-sleepers need to wake up. We need to get moving! And get and explanation from Jack…

"Ugh…"

"Gaaah…"

"Mer…"

"Stop it… tired…"

"Don' be cryin' babies! Look a' me, ah've been up since sunrise!" I shout. Pff. They need to man up.

Finally, that District 4 guy, Percy, wobbles onto his feet. "I'm up, I'm up…" he stumbles away, and comes back with bread. And a frying pan. "Okay, whoever tries to go to sleep again while I'm awake will be hit over the head with this frying pan. I mean it." He banged it on the wall a couple times to prove that he has one.

Rapunzel is up like a shot. It's obvious she doesn't want to experience a frying pan first-hand. Next to get up is Hiccup, who's sensible enough to do it. Then Bianca, Frank, Leo. Jack is still asleep. I can't believe I didn't wake him up!

Percy nods grimly. **_BANG!_**

Jack's eyes shot open.

"_Owowowowow_… why would you do that?!"

Percy smirks. "'Cause it's fun."

Jack glares. "You're evil."

Percy just smiles and nods.

Theatrical sigh. "Mornin', all tha'. Breakfast." I start throwing out packets of trail mix. "An', how about, while we're eatin', Jack explains a little bit?" Punzie and Hic nod. The district 3s look confused. So does Frank.

Jack looks guilty. "Look, I had a plan, and I'm sorry for not telling you. But I needed you not to know so that it was more convincing.

"I joined the Careers 'cause I knew that there would be a ton of supplies. I tracked you guys," he nodded in me, Hic, and Punze's direction, "subconsciously. On the first night I had watch, which was the night before you left for here, was my turn to guard. Jason still didn't trust me, so he had Percy watch me. Luckily, Percy was on my side, so he didn't do anything when I grabbed supplies and food, then snuck off. Speaking of which, you owe me for that bow and the double quiver." I glare at him, and he chuckles. Then, the words fully register.

"**THA' DISTRICT 4 LOWLANDER KNEW WHEN YOUR TEAMMATES DIDN'T?"** I can't believe it! He didn't tell us, but he told Percy when he could've given him away at any time… why does this make me so angry…? Ugh, he is so INFURIATING! I will make a point of glaring at him as much as possible.

Jack looks hurt and guilty and sad at the same time. "If you had known, you wouldn't have been mad at me and Jason would've known what was up! I'm sorry! I really am!" His face has grown desperate.

I take deep breaths, and scowl. "Just get on with it…"

He looks down. "I thought, when they didn't find you for the first while, I could keep my cover longer, but then Piper came and forced it out of me… and then you know what happened next. I'm sorry!"

Now Hiccup looks mad. "You really think we're that bad of actors?! That useless?! That we couldn't get supplies and survive without those things that you gave us?!"

Jack shook his head quickly. "No, no, that's not it! I just thought it would help! And I promised that I would pay start to pay Merida back!"

Hold up. Jack did that… for me? He did that all for me? And start to? The shock must be evident on my face, but in my defense, it's evident on everyone's.

"She saved my sister, so I owe her, big-time. I don't know if Emma would still be alive… I'm sorry." He mutters under his breath, "I'm still paying her back." He looks up. "I'm saying thanks the wrong way, aren't I." It's not a question, it's a statement.

When he sees all of the looks he's still getting, he just slumps. "I make a mess out of everything. It would be better if I just left."

No! Don't leave! We need you here! "No Jack. If ya actually abandon us, tha' would be unforgivable. We may forgive ya in time, but not yet, not completely. So stay."

He looks up at me in surprise. "Really?"

I nod. "Yes. Now tha' ah think about it, ya should probably get rid of tha' stick."

He smiles and shakes his head. "Nah. I work well with it. And thank you," he adds, "for giving me another chance."

This chap sucked. Once again, I'm sorry. G'syr: It's not that bad now that you edited it… Sol: it's still horrible. Shoutouts:

Galatea R.S- Not all of my good characters can survive. :( And they do need to move, but this is pretty early and focused on Jack's explanation/relationship with Merida. And that big, evil guy that I like to call 'the blond pig-headed jerk' will be taking revenge. *evil laugh*

Guest- once again, I'm sorry for not updating. But here's a bit more! *hopeful smile*

And that wraps it up. Bye! G'syr: bye!

Sol: p.s. I owe you guys a quick/double update.

P.p.s. remind me in your reviews.


	18. Solving

Ch. 18- Solving

Okay, here's a chap!

Jack POV

Huuuuh… right now, I'm walking along in the back of the group, looking for a new place. Hiccup isn't talking to me. Rapunzel is his reluctant messenger. At least Percy and Mer talk.

Currently, we are going towards the lake. Hiccup said something about 'The top of blue glass' and reflections. Mer promised to explain later.

I don't feel right. It's like… I dunno. Something's wrong, I think. It's the atmosphere. I keep my stick at the ready.

I can see the others feel it too. Hiccup has his hand by the pocket that has his dagger in it, Punzie's fingering her frying pan (I've still got a lump. Those things hurt!), Merida has her bow, Percy his sword, and I know Bianca and Nyssa have swords. I honestly have no idea what Frank and Leo are doing.

The lake emerges from the trees. It looks so refreshing. Not a breeze ripples the surface. An old-looking temple is by the shore. I can hear talking.

Hiccup curses. "Okay, Merida? Please tell that weird brown-haired guy that you and him are going to sneak to the other side. While the remaining rush it, you guys will pick of those who try to flee. Got it?"

Mer sighs in exasperation. "He can hear ya. Fine."

It was easy to get around them without getting noticed. I could've danced and they would just keep on arguing.

"The Careers are stupid, but tough. So I say we lay a trap."

"No! We make some alliances, then rush in!"

"I think we should attempt an alliance with them, and if they attack, we lead them into a trap."

The argument continues as such. They aren't much of a team. One wants the toughest way, one wants the trickiest, and one wants peaceful. They should be easy to take down.

Then, I see the tricky one smile, and she suddenly throws her javelin into the undergrowth where the others are!

A girl cries out, it grows strangled, then dies completely.

With a roar of rage, Bianca is sprinting towards the group sword in hand. The others are close behind. Wait! Not all the others.

Nyssa's missing.

Before I have time to think, Merida jumps up and starts shooting. I rush into the fray.

It's not much of a competition, actually. I take down the only boy of the group, and Leo takes down a girl.

I see black hair in the bushes… I must have imagined it.

The battle is over before it even started. Two bodies on the floor, bloody.

Hiccup frowns. "Weren't there three people? We're missing the other girl from 5!"

I blink. So that was district 5?

"I see Maleficent Sorceror is dead, Tom Riddle is dead, I remember Junior MacIntosh was already dead. Where's Seraphina Earth?"

I will attempt to speak with Hiccup. "I think I saw black hair go into the bushes. I thought I imagined it."

He scowls. "Sorry, did anybody else hear something? Can what did you guys hear?"

Leo impatiently repeated the information.

The brunette nods. "I guess she escaped. Look out for her in watch. I've heard that she's the daughter of Pitch with a district worker."

Wow. I did not see that coming. But probably just a rumor.

Suddenly, Hiccup starts examining the walls. "Aha! I knew there would be runes here! Just a minute…"

After about 60 minutes, his head pops into the world of the living once again. "They say, 'the bladed key will unlock victory'." I'm thinking it means a sword. But everyone has a sword. Or maybe we need a certain one to unlock the thing under the lake…"

Merida blinks. "How do you know it's under the lake?"

Hiccup smirks. "The top of blue glass! It's simple! Under the lake, there's something that can help us! It's so simple, I don't know why I hadn't thought of it before today."

Actually, I can tell it's making everybody but me feel stupid. "What are you talking about? Runes? Lakes?"

He is so excited he forgets to not talk to me. " l learned how to read these runes that are popping up everywhere and they give hints, one said, 'Under the top of blue glass, the secret is kept'. It was talking about the lake! And one led us to those passages in the castle walls! And now this one said a sword will unlock or activate something that will help us!"

Oh. That makes sense now. Kinda. "Thanks."

But Hiccup is already talking to Percy. "Can you build boats?"

The District 4 looks offended. "Of course I can build boats."

"Can you build one if we pick up this timber?"

"Yeah, but it'll be rickety. That okay?"

"Yep. Wait- Raise your hand if you can swim!"

Frank, Percy, Leo, Hiccup, Merida, and Rapunzel.

Bianca murmurs a little about how she can only tread water, and I don't say anything. My worst nightmares have always been about one of two things: losing Emma, or drowning. I'm not getting on that boat.

The boat is almost finished. It's night. I hear music playing, and I rush out to see the dead.

District 1: Ethan Nakamura. Ethan was killed today?

District 3: Nyssa Forge. I hear a muffled sob from Bianca.

District 4: Amphitrite Nymph. Percy is emotionless.

District 5: Tom Riddle, Maleficent Sorceror.

District 8: Hermione Granger.

District 9: Tam Farrell.

District 11: Sophie Prentice.

The Capitol Anthem plays again, and the screen is turned off.

Percy hasn't said or done a thing about the death of his District Member. I ask him why.

"I've never liked her. Always too eager to please, and too quick to bully. Me and my brother Tyson were always her favorites to pick on."

Ah.

It's time for us to go to sleep. Hiccup is still not going to trust me with guard duty, and guards himself. I close my eyes.

_There's blood everywhere, staining the grass and the dirt. All of the remaining tributes are fighting, District versus District versus District. Percy is stabbed through the guy by Jason. I try to move, but I can't. Rapunzel is burned to death by Seraphina. Hiccup kills himself when Rapunzel dies. I see Bianca hugging a little boy who looks like her, trying to protect him. But shadows come and swallow both of them up._

_People are killed off, one by one. _

_Then the worst comes. Every tribute that was killed comes back made of shadow, and each flanked by horses of black sand. It's only me and Merida left. She's shooting arrows desperately, but it doesn't affect the horrors._

_I swing my stick through them, and for some reason they distenagrate. They are all gone. Then, Pitch is standing there. He's holding a gun. He fires at Merida. I push her to the side, and I take the bullet. It knocks me into a small pond. A black cloud collects in the freezing water._

_I see Emma fade away before my eyes._

_I can't breath… I'm drowning…_

I wake up in a cold sweat. That was easily the worst dream I've ever had.

Hiccup glances over at me, dark circles under his eyes. It's the middle if the night.

"Hey, you look tired. How 'bout I take over guard duty for tonight?"

He hesitates, then nods. Within minutes, he's asleep.

I look around.

There's nothing in the woods.

Hiccup and Rapunzel are sleeping close to each other. I smile.

Then I look at Merida. She was so beautiful when she slept, no frowns, no angry faces. Just neutral, with a small smile on her face, like she knew something we didn't.

One thing I need to clear up: yes, I watched her sleep. For a minute. No more. It sounds stalker ish, but I was bored and had nothing better to do.

Ok, now I pick up my stick. I need to practice right? As I swing it around, I think of my fondest memories.

Teaching Emma how to hunt.

_"Okay, you're better with a bow than I am, so practice with that later. See this knife, you just pull back, aim, and… fire!"_

_Her arm snaps forward,and strikes the fake rabbit in the eye._

_She giggles. "I did it, Jack!" With a proud smile._

Walking with Sandy.

'_The woods are quiet today.'_

_"Yep. And they seem even prettier."_

_'Yes. How's your mother?'_

_"She's better. That bout of flu was nasty, wasn't it? And we couldn't afford a cure, since Dad had earned all the money before he left. I'm just glad Emma and I didn't catch it."_

_'Yes. We were truly blessed.'_

_"I'm glad you didn't get it either, Sandy."_

Playing with Dad when I was little.

_His father was a big man, and always ready to play._

_"I am going to get you! Vere could Jack be…?"_

_Jack giggles._

_"Is he… under the bed? No… is he… _in_ the bed? No… is he… under the table…?"_

_The big man lifts up the table cloth. Jack shrieks in surprise, then scurries away on all fours._

_"Jack isn't getting away from me!"_

_He reaches down, scoops Jack up, and tickled him._

_Jack and his Father's laughs echoed through the school building, where his father worked, together._

Emma's little hummingbird that she keeps at our forest base.

"_Hey Jack?"_

_"Yes?"_

_"This hummingbird is always here. She reminds me of Tooth… can I keep her?"_

_"Sure!"_

_"Thank you, Jack! I'm going to name her Baby Tooth, and she's going to be my best friend!"_

_Sure enough, Baby Tooth followed her everywhere._

Tired, I look up at the moon. It is a half-moon tonight, but still so beautiful and bright…

I lean against the nearest tree, and watch the moon and the others for the rest of the night.

I didn't know how to end this one. But you got some info on Jack, solutions to the riddles, and plans, and another possibly important character. If you're wondering what happened to the Careers, they got in a tousle with Districts 8 and 9. Sophie from Distrct 11 fell into a trap.

To anyone who possibly guessed that the lake was the 'top of blue glass', congrats! You get cookies.

(::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::)

To those of you who didn't guess, aww well. You still get cookies.

(::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::)

Another chap soon! Real soon!

G'syr: yep, she's writing it as you read this.


	19. Bloodbath

Ch. 19- Bloodbath

And, the next chap. As close to a double update as I'm going to get right now. I uploaded this for Galatea R.S, it's her birthday today!

Merida POV

I woke to see Jack sprawled on the ground, staring up at the 'clouds'. Hiccup and Punzie are snuggled up with each other. Wasn't Hic on watch?

As soon as I lean up, Jack looks at me. "Mornin, sleepyhead."

I half-smile. "Good mornin'. Wasn't Hic on watch?"

"Yeah, but I woke up in the middle of the night, and he was exhausted. Compared to how he's been acting towards me, he practically jumped at my offer." He chuckles. Despite myself, it makes me smile too.

You know that feeling that it's going to be a great day? Blue skies, crisp air, sunny, overall good feeling? I am feeling that.

I throw my arm around the surprised boy's shoulders. "C'mon, Overland! Lets go fish fer breakfast!"

A real smile, not a smirk, finds its way on Jack's face. "Sure! Let's go! To the big lake!"

About an hour later, we have scored 5 trout and 2 fin. And some berries for Pascal. Rapunzel has been getting on me about not thinking about Pascal.

A fist-bomb (something that Jack made up with his sister, something about a pre-war thing?), and we head back to campsite with a few buckets to splash on the laggers.

As soon as the threat is out of our mouths, everyone is up. Instead, we drink the water. Less fun, but more helpful. Too bad. I'd almost forgot we were in the arena when I was fishing with Jack.

"So, now that we're done with breakfast, how about we get going on that boat?" Percy is suggesting.

Hiccup nods. "Good idea. Let's go!"

Jack looks… strange. "Do you think that, maybe, I can stay here?"

Hiccup throws him a suspicious look. "No. I'd like to keep you in my sight."

Jack's eyes widen as the other tribute grabs him by the arm and drags him onto to the boat, all the while blubbering. "No no no no please no!"

His face is so pale and eyes so big it's almost comical. Okay, it's hilarious. I'm cracking up. He throws me a betrayed look. He's grabbed the sides of the boat, cat-style, refusing to go in. But when the boat starts tilting, he quickly lets go.

As soon as everyone's on, Percy starts rowing. Jack's knuckles are white, gripping the sides.

I'm finally fed up. "Wha' is it with ya an' boats?"

He glances at me, then refocuses his energy in his hands. "I'm… afraid of drowning. So, I try to avoid going in deep water."

"But you're in a boat."

"It could capsize."

I can't help but snicker at his paranoia. He mock-glares at me. "Hey, it could!" Then he looks up, and frowns. "Was is about to storm when we left?"

He's right. As I look up and see the black clouds, it starts to drizzle. "Hey, guys, ah think we should head back. We got ourselves a pretty big storm."

Percy looks up and curses. "Yeah, this one's gonna have lightning." We turn around to head back. We're about halfway to shore when, in the direction only me and Jack are facing, lightning strikes the water, temporarily creating a path.

Jack sucks in a breath. There was a giant bronze-looking… talon.

Leo nodds when I tell him what we saw. "I honestly have no idea what it is, but we know for sure that something's in the lake now. I'll think about what it might be-"

He was cut off by the Capitol Anthem. What? It's too early for dead tributes to be shown. Unless…

Gobber appears on the screen. "Tributes! I know it's a bit early, but we are having a feast! There will be a pack with an item that could help you. It starts at dusk! I recommend you be there, otherwise you'll be at an extreme disadvantage. So, good luck, and may the odds be every in your favor!" And the screen shut off.

I glance at our rickety boat.

"Everybody! We have a decision to make!" I hear Hiccup call out.

Within minutes, the entire team is gathered in the temple center. "So, guys, we all heard about the feast." All nods. "So, should we go or not? Opinions."

Percy:" Who knows? We all know its a trap. But if we work together, we might get it.

Frank: "It's a bad idea. No."

Leo: "We should go! As far as we know, we're the only ones who know about the 'help' in the lake, it might have some clues!"

Bianca: "Nico, my little brother, would want me to go but be careful. I'm going whether you want me to or not."

Punzie: "My frying pan's ready, let's go!"

Jack: "I'll go. I hope the District 12 one has life-savers."

Me: "Bring. It. On."

Hiccup: "Alright, it seems we are going! Get prepared! Any other things anybody wants to share?" I raise my hand. "Yes, Merida?"

"Me and Jack saw something in the lake this morning. When the lightning split the lake, we saw a giant bronze talon."

Hiccup nods. He doesn't seem as excited as I thought he would be. "That's interesting. I'll think about it."

It's a little disappointing when he dismisses is without saying anything further about the talon.

It's time to go. The feast is at the cornucopia, (as usual) and we're poised to attack. Hiccup thought it would be a good opportunity to take out some competition. Unfortunately, others have definitely thought of that too.

I have all my arrows and my bow ready. Jack refuses to use anything but that stick. All the others have their respective weapons.

I can see the packs on the table. 5…4…3…2…1… BZZ! We burst out of the undergrowth. I hone in on the District 12 one. I scoop it up and put it in my fanny pack. That was easy. Leo gets the District 3 and Percy grabs District 4. And then… the enemy.

Jason and Piper lead Astrid and Fishlegs in a charge.

Jason locates Jack and dives after him. Soon they're engaged on a battle, stick vs. sword. Astrid goes in for Hiccup, and Fishlegs goes for Rapunzel. Piper goes after me, but stops short when I shoot her in the dagger arm. Heh.

She switches hands and goes after a different target: a black-haired girl. Seraphina.

Seraphina snatches up her pack and digs something out of it. A gleam in the dark; a silver Capitol hunting knife.

The two girls take swipe after swipe. I target some others: Rainbow Campus from District

6 and Sophie Dvarkin from district 9. I kill both.

Jason calls a retreat, and the Careers leave, Fishlegs sporting a huge gash on the leg and Astrid with some cuts on her face. Her axe didn't do much damage to Hic, lucky tribute.

Finally, we're back at the temple. Capitol Anthem: the dead are

District 3: Bianca DiAngelo. Everyone gasps. How did we not notice she needed help? But she's gone now…

District 6: Rainbow Campus.

District 8: Albus Dumbledore

District 9: Sophie Dvarkin and Tam Farrell

District 10: Arcticos Fox

District 11: Elfwyn Veritas

Capitol Anthem. Seven deaths.

What was in the packs:

3: a close-up shot of where to insert a sword, and a schematic of a saddle.

4: a whole bunch of leather and a fold up boat? How is that possible?

And ours: a life-saver, some poison that I guessed was for my arrows, a book on something called 'chameleons' with a picture of something that looks like Pascal on it,and a small pamphlet on how to properly speak, read, and write fluently in a language the Capitol calls 'Dragonese'.

Everyone seems happy with what they got except Hiccup. He huffs. "It's their idea of a joke. Thanks, Dad, for advertising the Viking heritage."

"What's a joke?" Jack asks.

"In the Viking culture, apparently they used to slay dragons. I was named after a chief's son legendary for being small and being able to talk with dragons. The language was called 'Dragonese'. Humph." But all the same, he's burying his nose in it.

I look outside. Leo and the District 4s are working together to make the saddle in the schematic. Rapunzel and Hiccup are both reading. Where's Jack?

"Hey, Mer? Can you swim?" Right on cue, Overland.

"Yeah. Why?"

"Can you be nearby when I try out the life-saver?"

I snort. "Fine."

He smiles with childish delight. "Yes! Thanks, Mer!"

And he edges quickly towards the water, floatie around his waist.

I smile. He always makes me forget I'm in the arena.

It's my turn to watch, but Leo is volunteering. He doesn't look too good. But he's looking at me, "Please."

Then I see it. He needs time to mourn for his teammates.

I settle down, and I fall asleep.

Jason POV

At least all of us survived. If Astrid had died, though, I'd have killed Fishlegs. His pack has healing materials.

I look inside me and Piper's.

A small silver shotgun, with pellet-like bullet refills.

I smile. Time for some revenge.

Dun dun dun! A small silver gun… does that sound familiar, or is it just me…? Heheheh… this story is almost done! This was kind of a filler, and it focused on Jack and Merida's relationship. Jack provided some comic relief. I hope you like It! And please, try to guess what the underwater thing!

Shoutouts:

Galatea R.S- the riddle… ah, it's actually not that riddle-y. Eheheh… yeah… also, happy birthday!

RotBTDfan1937: I'm sorry. I'm not changing where anyone lives. And Nico will be in the story eventually. In the sequel. SO NICO WILL BE IN. YOU CAN STOP ASKING FOR NICO NOW. I have only mentioned Nico a couple times because I'm not sure how to make him exactly yet. (I write this whole thing without editing besides spelling errors. n_n) I'm sorry I didn't reply before, they didn't show up in my email.

Bye!


	20. Discovery and Ambush

Ch. 20- Discovery and Ambush

Merida POV

It's time to go on the boat. Jack, with his floatie, is still terrified. He's holding onto the sides and his white ring for dear life.

Jack is going to be the Watcher of the Boat. I could tell he was relieved to not have to go in the water.

3. 2. 1. _SPLASH_! I'm surrounded by white bubbles. When they clear, I see blue light filtering around a white, sandy landscape filled with fish and the occasional Fin. There's a whole bunch of seaweed in the direction I saw the talon in. I gesture to the others, and swim towards it.

They all follow, me, and I see the occasional flash of reflected light. Some are from fish scales, but others are seemingly without source.

When I get to the giant clump of seaweed, I look around. There is no uncovered patches. I scrape some off, but it's pretty thick. Darn. I can't see anything. I swim to the top of the clump and gulp air. I dive back down.

The others are here now, and I motion downwards to check out the feet. After a bit of searching, I find the talon that the lightning uncovered. I start to pull of the covering from there. Every once in a while, I have to go up and get air. The others join me, and we have uncovered a whole leg. It's going to take a while to uncover the whole thing, but we are going to do it.

We have the whole thing uncovered! God, its midnight by now. We have had to use night-vision goggles that we found and got from sponsors. But damn, this thing is worth it! Imagine it: a giant bronze dragon. Leo has taken a likening to it. He's trying to decide between calling it Festus after Hephaestus, or Nessie. I'm personally leaning towards Festus.

Leo is pulling Percy somewhere. Oh yeah, he's found the part on the schematic that has the activation area. He's grabbing Percy's sword… he's sticking it in a plate… he's already put the saddle on it…

It's probably bad to be by it's head right now! God, help me!

I swim around to the side as the eyes light up bright, blood red. He roars, bubbles coming out at sizes never seen before, and he turns his head around to look at us. He flicks his head towards the saddle.

Leo is the first to climb on. The rest of us nervously hang on as he spreads his wings and bursts out of the water.

I realize it at the last second. "Where are the seat belts?"

We are all holding in for dear life now.

I decide to look down.

The boat is overturned.

Panic.

"JACK!" Oh dear God, please say…

Phew. There's his head, right now, with that ridiculous-looking floatie.

But as Festus continues to flap, Jack is blown closer and closer to shore.

Jack POV

Woooooow. I never in my entire life expected a giant bronze dragon that can actually fly.

And they're riding it. Lucky.

I'm getting back to shore, which is good… but I have a bad feeling about over there.

_Bam! Whiz! Zing!_

Bullets rush by me as I run. I can't see my attackers, but I have a pretty good guess. That is confirmed when they come running out of the undergrowth.

Yep. Jason, Piper, Astrid, and Fishlegs. Since when did Jason get a gun?

Seeing (and hearing) the bullets, I feel the dragon land. The others come running off. Leo and Hiccup engage Piper and Fishlegs, while Rapunzel runs over to help Hic. Percy attacks Piper. That leaves me and Mer.

I'm running, running, Merida not missing a beat by my side… Jason has stopped shooting, waiting for an open target. Well, he's not stupid, I'll give him that. You can't just collect bullets out of trees.

Aack… it's a dead end! We ran right into a pond with trees around it (and rubble) so you can't get through! Damn! Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn damn…

Jason grins. "I guess I'll just take you two down then. Two of the most wanted in these games. By me… heheh, enjoy you're… vacation…" he raises the gun.

He's aiming at Merida.

Click… everything seems to move in slow-motion. Bang… I see the small explosion inside the small, silver pistol… it's heading towards her…

Pain. Lots of it. And before I know it, the impact of the bullet pushes me into the pond.

A mixture of a pitch- black smoke-like substance and my blood float around me in the water. Even from under all of it, I can hear her scream…

My lungs are burning. I hear Emma's voice… her laughter…

My mother's reassurances that there are no monsters in my closet…

Hiccup's smart-aleck voice…

Rapunzel's sweet singing…

Percy's chuckles…

And Merida's voice, replaying all the things she's ever said to me…

And I see them all fade away before my eyes.

My vision turns black.

_Hey, Mer… I guess I _did_ repay that life debt after all…_

Merida POV

I scream as Jack topples into the water. Jason looks startled for a moment, then shakes it off. "Hey, I got to take him out, and that's good. Looks like the idiot can't swim." He grins savagely. "And I'll get you, too, besides his 'oh so noble' sacrifice."

He shoots me in the arm. A big cloud if black smoke obscures me, and then I black out.

Hiccup POV

Merida's scream sounds everywhere. Abandoning Fishlegs, Me and Rapunzel run to our teammate's aid. Leo and Percy quickly join us.

We arrive to see no sign of Jack, Merida slumped against a tree surrounded by black smoke, and Jason grinning like he's lost his sanity.

He cackles. "Ooh! More victims." He fires twice, too fast for us to react. The bullets each hit Leo and Percy in non-fatal places, but the black cloud surrounds them and they slump to the ground.

I frown. Poison, maybe? Or it possibly could just have knocked them out…

He raises his pistol once more. Rapunzel charges in with her frying pan, eager to give him brain damage, but a shot in the leg stops her in her tracks, she too unconscious.

I'm the last one. Or maybe Jack escaped, or is still out there… I hope so.

"My last victim for today. Are you wondering where Overland is? He's not coming to the rescue, if that's what you're thinking. Oh no, let's just say he's deep, cold and wet right now." He grins insanely.

Jack… is in the… no… why? How?

The last thing I remember was pain exploding in my leg.

Jason POV

Finally. Those guys were causing me a lot of trouble… they look pretty dead. But as I go and check up on that red-haired girl's pulse, something makes me freeze. I drop the gun.

A ladder drops down from a hovercraft. Puzzled, I climb up, the others following me.

It beams the ones that I shot up. Except Jack. No point in taking a dead body I guess.

One of the people approach me. I feel a small pinch, then I suddenly feel exhausted. I fall asleep.

Merida POV

I wake up in a nice, soft bed, immediately puzzling. The last thing I remember…

Oh.

Right.

Jack's dead.

And I've been shot.

I look at my arm. Wait… what? There's no sign of a bullet wound. Maybe it was all a bad dream.

I walk outside the door. Festus is currently de-activated, and in the middle of the room. So it wasn't some crazy, messed up dream after all…

The first live person I see: Jason-Freaking-Grace. No debate. I launch myself at him.

"I'll kill ya! Ya killed Jack! I'll kill ya!"

But then, out of nowhere, an adult in white appears, holding me back. "I understand. But we can't kill him yet. We still have some stuff to go through with you, him, your friends, and others." I faintly recognize the voice.

Hiccup is standing in the doorway. "Huh? Is… that you?" He asks. "Gobber?"

Gobber laughs. "Yep! Now, let's take you too the boss. He'll tell ya everything.

Ohh… short, but emotionally exhausting. I think.

YES! I KILLED OFF JACK! *MANIACAL LAUGHTER* YES! YEs! Yes! yes… heheh.

I'm eeeeeviiil.

Jack is dead. We shall have a moment of silence just for this awesome character.

*all is still* R.I.P. Jackson Overland.

Okay, on a happier thought, on request of Galatea R.S, cookies for all my friends!

(::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::) (::)

There. That should satisfy.

G'syr: Shoutouts!

Nargle006: Thank you. I'd always think that it would be ironic if he drowned and had Hydrophobia.

Galatea R.S: Why thank you! This story wouldn't do so well if there wasn't a sequel! And after all the little plot-hints too… and silver pistol… well, I'm sure you can guess what they silver pistol was by now. Heheheh. And here's your cookies! Thank you for reviewing!

Sol: Anyway, I have one more chap and then an epilogue. And then the sequel. I will announce the name in the epilogue if you're interested! n_n I felt like thus chap was a bit rushed, though… sorry.

Anyway, g'bye!

G'syr: Goodbye!


	21. Explain

Ch. 21- Explain

Heheheh… I bet you're all mad at me for killing Jack. I have one thing to say in my defense: *wait for it, wait for it…* it was reeeaaaallllyyyy fun! And perfect for the story line… *smug* anyways, here goes:

Merida POV

Me, my friends, and the other remaining tributes are being escorted down a passageway by Gobber. We still have no idea whatsoever is going on. Just the thought makes me feel… abnormally angry. And hot. Really hot…

I notice Hiccup keeps murmuring in that 'Dragonese' language. He is sweating a lot.

Rapunzel looks downright exhausted. And… does her hair seem a but longer…? No. My imagination.

Gobber escorts us into a big, machine-filled room. It's filled with people bustling about, except at the center. There, a big man with a large, long white beard and bushy black eyebrows is looking over all of the workers.

Gobber yells. "North! The rescued tributes are here!"

The big man, North, turns to look at us. He looks at us for a second, then bursts into jolly, loud chuckles. It's contagious. Soon the entire room are smiling to themselves.

North strides up. "Velcome to our main, large hovercraft, or as I like to call it, the sleigh!" His voice booms.

Nobody does anything. Hiccup glances around, then steps forward. "Thank you." He swallows. "Now, can we have answers? I'm sorry that this is a bit rude, but we were promised them.

North just smiles. "Of course, of course. I am Nicholas St. North. You may call me North, that is what everyone calls me. So, answers? Answers you shall have! Fire away!"

One tribute, a lithe 18-year-old boy with charcoal skin steps forward. "I have one. Why didn't you save us earlier?"

"I am sorry, Blackjack, that ve could not come in time to rescue Rainbow. But ve only had just found a breach in the shield. This was the first chance ve had."

Blackjack nods. "Good. 'Cause if you just chose not to 'til now, then you'd get a beating." He steps back.

All is silent for a bit, and then a middle aged woman with a long ruff of hair steps forward. "Where are we headed?"

North nods. "I was thinking you vould ask that question, Siberia. Ve are heading towards the center of the forest."

Siberia looks puzzled. "Forest?"

The big man nods again. "Outside of Panem the is giant forest. Ve are heading toward clearing, vhere the Headquarters of Movement: Legend is."

The woman nods, clearly understanding more than I do. With no more questions, everyone filed out of the room. But North stops us. "I heard you vere shot. May I examine you?"

Me and Punzie look to Hiccup, who nods. We follow him.

As North puts us under a series if scanners, he asks us about little things, like what our favorite weapons were, or our favorite colors. We answer truthfully, no harm could come from giving that away. But then he asks us a strange question.

"You vere in District 12, nyet? Do you know if a boy named Jack Overland is still alive, maybe just absent when you vere attacked?"

Just hearing his name makes me feel funny, like my heart's turned to ice and is defrosting slowly and painfully, or it's trying to beat fast and slow at the same time. It was… a sad feeling, actually.

Hiccup looks at me. He knows, I can tell. Punze doesn't look like she knows. I take a deep, slow breath… another… "He's dead. He drowned."

North freezes. Then, as if nothing happened, he continues, but with less vigor than before. "Oh. Oh. Thank you for telling me." His voice is soft and sorrowful.

Suddenly, a loud, echoing beep sounds.

North looks startled, then starts using the screen to take screenshots. I'm on the examining deck first, so I have no idea if its done this before…

"Rimsky Korsokov… " the man mutters. "Get professor Bunnymund in here immediately, Phil!"

Phil grunts something, then hurries off. Bunnymund…!?

Sure enough, Aster hurries in. He looks at the monitor. "Yep. Looks like we found signature, mate. And a bloody strong one, too. You say the other two also got shot? See what effects it had on them. Now." He walked over to me, and started doing doctor-stuff. My temperature: 112 degrees Fahrenheit. I felt normal, though. Reflexes: faster. Eyesight: sharper. Aster took notes on all of this.

The alarm went off again, this time for Hiccup. Nothing was changed about him, though. It just picked up energy signals.

Punzie. More Stamina. That's all we could tell right now without hurting her.

From the bits and pieces I picked up, there was something about the bullets in the gun and smoke and reacting. Oh, and us. Lots about us.

I picked up the words 'regeneration', 'fire', 'sun', 'dragon' and 'flower'. Odd.

Then, Percy and Leo were escorted in, along with Jason and Piper. Double strange.

They got monitored, and all for got reactions. 'Water', 'more fire', 'ocean', 'lighting', 'speak', and little words like that.

Strange.

We're landing in the clearing North was talking about earlier. After walking around a bit, we'd discovered that not only were Gobber and Bunny were working as spies in the Capitol, but Tooth as well! Surprises, surprises.

An old, kindly man with eyes twinkling through his half-moon spectacles was waiting for us. "My name, is Tsar Lunar." He greets us. "And you arewelcomed to the Movement: Legend headquarters by none other than its leader- me!"

Short but important.

G'syr: due to request, I have hot chocolate on a platter for you. *hands out hot chocolate* If you don't like chocolate, then here! This is an Ancient Egyptian drink that I forget the name of, but I know it's described as 'hot vanilla' by the Egyptian sky goddess, Nut. *hands those out*

There. This is a double update. I repeat. This is a double update. No, make that triple. Epilogue is coming out.

This had a sucky ending.

Shoutout to Galatea R.S: *wink wink* you have amazing powers of guessing… *said in mystical voice…*


	22. Epilogue

Epilogue

_Pitch walked through the arena of the Hunger Hames cut short. After all of the tributes mysteriously disappeared, they had been forced to shut down the arena and stop the games._

_All the bodies of water had been rid of the purple fish, and families were picnicking in the shade._

_But Pitch wasn't here to enjoy the scenery. He strode through the undergrowth to the last known place his NP (Nightmare Pellet) Gun had been seen._

_Sure enough, there it was, glimmering, surrounded by grass._

No wonder the cleaning crew had missed it.

_He picked it up, inspecting it for damage. None._

_Pocketing the deadly weapon, he took out a shiny whistle made of the same material. He blew into it once._

_A big, beautiful Alpha Nightmare materialized out of the shadows, having teleported here from Pitch's base._

_The President climbed on its back and took off into the shadows, leaving no trace that they were ever there but a sprinkle of dark sand._

THE END!

G'syr: the sequel will be called: **Reborn from the Ashes;** or **Phoenix**! Gotcha! I'll post a poll for which one, since I can't decide!

Sol: I can't either. Bye, and thanks for sticking through this with me!


	23. ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! ALERT!

**ALERT! ALERT! ALERT! ALERT!**

READ IMPORTANT!

Prepare for Rage

I am not quitting this story or whatever but this is REALLLY IMPORTANT!

The **GOVERNMENT** is planning to **SHUT DOWN FANFICTION** due to _copyright_...

There are disclaimers for a reason! A friend of Tazmaster's started a petition, and Taz alerted me! We need to alert as many as possible, so please, spread the word!

PM me if you'll join, and PM me the names of others who will join!

Good luck!


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